Company set to revolutionize recycling after raising $16 million to expand robot fleet: 'Able to distinguish beyond what people can even notice'

While a robot takeover may remind people of films like "Terminator" or "I, Robot," adding mechanical arms to the recycling world can help the planet's massive trash problem. Startup Glacier has automated systems that are working on that issue, as TechCrunch reports.

After raising $16 million in Series A funding, the company looks forward to expanding its robot deployment beyond current clients in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix, and Detroit. 

The robot fleet solves an ongoing issue many materials recovery facilities have — sorting through tons of recyclables and the lack of manpower to do so. 

One of Glacier's co-founders and CTO, Areeb Malik, told TechCrunch how the robots and artificial intelligence are "getting really powerful, being able to distinguish beyond what people can even notice."

Sorting the recyclable aluminum cans or glass from regular trash becomes even more cumbersome with the sheer magnitude of the amount of trash produced annually. Per the EPA's alarming statistics:

• In 2018, 146 million tons of waste sat in American landfills alone
• The world created a whopping 292.4 million tons of waste that same year
• Americans produce almost 5 pounds of waste daily
• Only 32% of such waste was recycled or composted

To make matters worse, no intervention can see the world producing 75% more waste by 2050, for a total of over 3.8 billion metric tons, according to Statista. 

To combat this problem, companies such as AE Global and rePurpose Global formed partnerships to create sustainable packaging. Nanotech, American Battery Technology Company, BASF, and TODA Advanced Materials are combining their specializations to use recycled metal in lithium battery production. In addition, the Blue Jeans Go Green program takes old jeans mailed in by consumers to convert them into other cotton products.

As companies like Glacier make recycling faster and more feasible, they help pave the way for the planet to heal. Insight about companies' recycling blind spots, which Glacier does with its data product, can help stakeholders create better eco-friendly initiatives, like more recyclable packaging, or avoid wasting infinite life materials like aluminum. 

After all, waste sitting in trash dumps gives off toxic carbon and methane gases linked to the increasing atmospheric heat, which creates more massive and devastating weather patterns. 

TCD Picks » Moms Clean Air Force

💡 Join a group of concerned mothers, fathers, and caregivers by signing petitions to fight for children's health

Tell Congress that freezing federal funds hurts kids

Sign a petition supporting the health of every child in America

Help prevent heavy metals from ending up in baby food

Tell the FDA that lead and baby food don't mix

Keep families safe from severe weather threats

Tell Congress to keep us prepared for weather disasters

Defend EPA to defend our health

Urge lawmakers to aggressively protect EPA’s funding and staff

Items like plastics don't just sit, but they take hundreds of years to break down while leaching microplastics into nearby waterways. Therefore, it's worth giving the robots a shot to avoid that 2050 prediction.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

Cool Picks

How the Expedia of solar panels helps homeowners save money and avoid a common trap: 'Giving you confidence in the systems'

Homeowner easily debunks myth about solar panels one month after installing new system: 'Passive income is always welcome'

REI makes it easy to find steep discounts on used gear and clothing — and you can make big money selling your old stuff too

This innovative company will install solar panels on your roof with no upfront costs — here's how its business model works