Amp Robotics expands partnership with Waste Connections

Amp Robotics Corp., a Louisville, Colorado-based company specializing in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and infrastructure for the waste and recycling industry, has expanded its partnership with Waste Connections, Inc., headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. Waste Connections, which is Amp’s largest customer, has booked or deployed 50 of Amp’s high-speed robotics systems on plastic, fiber and residue lines, becoming the largest operator of AI-guided robotics in the industry, according to Amp.

“It’s gratifying to reach this milestone with a leader in resource recovery like Waste Connections. We’ve worked tirelessly to deliver AI and robotics systems that modernize today’s recycling operations by increasing productivity, stabilizing costs and improving the quality and value of recycled commodities,” says Matanya Horowitz, founder and CEO of Amp Robotics. “We remain committed to the continuous enhancement of our AI and automation solutions to stay ahead of industry challenges, exceed customer expectations and support the industry’s sustainability and climate goals.”

Amp’s technology identifies and recovers plastics, cardboard, paper, cans, cartons and many other containers and packaging types reclaimed for raw material processing. For example, Amp recovers a portfolio of Nos. 1-7 plastics in a variety of different form factors, colors and opacities, the company says.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) together account for a majority of recycled plastic demand, with growing interest in polypropylene (PP), a highly recyclable polymer with high demand in food-safe applications and the flexibility to accommodate packaging in a variety of shapes and sizes. The ability to separate different plastics and other recyclables with AI-driven sorting is helping recyclers meet the soaring need for sufficient quantities of recycled content from brands and packaging producers, Amp Robotics says.

“We’re excited to expand our relationship with Amp,” says Dan Kurtz, director of recycling for Waste Connections. “We’re impressed by the reliability of the robotics systems and the quality of the end product. We look forward to our continued partnership with Amp as we advance our sustainability initiatives.”

Amp says it has more than 230 deployments in more than 80 facilities across three continents. The company also recently announced the opening of two secondary sorting facilities where it will process residue from material recovery facilities.