Bryson Recycling Brings Automation Innovation to Recycling with Recycleye Robotics

Bryson Recycling, the largest social enterprise recycler in the UK, has installed an AI-driven waste sorting robot to increase the efficiency and quality of its recycling service.  Following previous innovations such as the introduction of its kerbside recycling products, the Kerb-Sort vehicle and the Wheelie Box, Bryson has worked with pioneering provider Recycleye Limited, to introduce this leading-edge technology to sustain continued growth of its organisation, which supports work for local people and helps the UK circular economy.

The waste-picking robot, known as Recycleye Robotics, performs the physical tasks of identifying, picking and placing materials at a dependably faster rate than human operatives, and in a consistent and reliable way.  Automated waste sorting is also more accurate, bringing greater purity in sorted items.  Robotics can run 24/7, which is more economically efficient than reliance on manual pickers, a role which often experiences high turnover and recruitment issues.

The intelligent picking system is powered by Recycleye Vision, an AI computer vision system driven by machine learning, which detects all individual items on waste streams by material and object.  The waste-sorting robot is expected to help Bryson improve the quantity and quality of their materials they send for recycling.

The AI system sits on top of the facility’s existing waste stream conveyor belts, providing the site manager with total visibility on the waste stream and helping to improve the efficiency and operations of the plant’s sorting processes.  The robot is used on existing waste streams, alongside but separate to human operatives, who continue to work in the company’s facilities.  

Bryson Recycling collects and processes materials from over 50% of homes in Northern Ireland and employs over 300 people across 9 sites in Northern Ireland, Donegal and Wales.  This supports work for local people and the continued development of the UK’s circular economy as the recyclates stay in the UK. This latest initiative is another example of Bryson Recycling delivering on its mission to maintain the best recycling quality standards and to work with local recycling companies. 

Bryson Director Eric Randall said ” We are delighted to be working with Recycleye to assess the potential of AI in our plant.  Our expectation is that the technology will help track and improve quality standards for key material streams we sell to local markets which will ultimately help the growth of the UK’s circular economy”.  

Recycleye CEO Victor Dewulf commented “Waste automation will help to solve the world’s waste problem and we are so proud to have been chosen by Bryson to bring this automation to Northern Ireland.  Our Recycleye Vision solution enables Bryson to track the purity of its sorted materials, helping to generate greater value for this leading social enterprise – which is equally good for local people and for the planet”.

About Bryson Recycling:

Northern Ireland’s largest social enterprise has been delivering recycling services since 1993. Bryson Recycling operates kerbsort collections from 160,000 homes in Northern Ireland. They also operate a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) which is used to process materials collected co-mingled in a further 250,000 households. At Bryson Recycling we pride ourselves on finding innovative ways to encourage people to recycle the right way. We focus on collecting high-quality materials, meaning they can be recycled locally, which is better for the environment, our local economy and creates jobs.

Bryson also have Household Recycling Centres in Donegal and Wales, and operate a Garden Waste Collection Service on behalf of Conwy County Borough Council.

About Recycleye:

Recycleye is a London-based technology company using advanced machine learning, computer vision, and robotics to bring transparency, traceability and accountability to the waste management industry.  Working with leading players, Recycleye improves plant performance using the Recycleye Vision and Recycleye Robotics solutions to drive strategic decisions and increase the value of outputs.

Founded in 2019 by CEO Victor Dewulf and CTO Peter Hedley, Recycleye has raised over £5m to date, and operates in the UK and across Europe, employing a passionate and growing team of experts.