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Combating plastic waste with recycling and AI

13. January 2025

Greiner has been a member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, which unites plastics companies along the entire value chain, since 2020.

Combating plastic waste with recycling and AI
Stories

Several million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year. The pollution of the environment in countries where no functioning waste management systems are established also creates massive problems worldwide on land. The Alliance to End Plastic Waste has set itself the task of tackling the plastic waste problem. Greiner has been a member of the alliance, which was founded in 2019, since December 2020. In this article, we will tell you exactly what the Alliance to End Plastic Waste does and how we support it.

Interview with Michael Madarasz

Michael Madarasz was part of Greiner AG before joining the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. He has been a project analyst there since 2022 to provide personnel support for the Alliance. We asked him three short questions about his work. 

Michael, what exactly do you do at the Alliance to End Plastic Waste?

I work as a project analyst for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) region of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and am responsible, among other things, for two projects in Europe. My main focus is on all key figures and the development of the projects in the region. For the Alliance, as a non-profit organization, the key figures here are of course somewhat different than for a for-profit company. While the solutions the Alliance supports are intended to be economically viable, I focus on their environmental and social impact. I look at how many kilotons of waste they divert from the environment or how many people we connect to regular waste management.

What does your typical workday look like?

My working day starts with the walk to the office and then – like for most people – dealing with emails. This is followed by a few video calls with colleagues around the world: mostly with Singapore and my colleagues from the EMEA region. After that, I follow the status of our projects: Are there any deviations from our specifications and thus a need for action by the project managers? Are the goals and KPIs being met according to the contract?

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I find it exciting to work with so many different people from different backgrounds and with different opinions. It's also inspiring to see how an idea and a few lines of patient paper can develop into a project that can change something in the world; how it can contribute to a cleaner environment and create jobs for often underprivileged workers.

Thank you, Michael!

Current projects of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste

In addition to the short interview, Michael gave us an insight into two of his projects. Here you can read how the Alliance is implementing the fight against plastic waste. 

EPS-Recycling in Brittany

Objectives

The project aims to identify various hotspots of expanded polystyrene (EPS = Styrofoam) in the Brittany region, which is mostly produced here by fishmongers and local merchants. EPS is a very light material with a high density; therefore, a mobile press was developed to collect the EPS, compress it into bales and thus prepare it for recycling and resale.

Current status

The feasibility study to identify and locate the EPS volume in Brittany has been successfully completed and a profitable business plan has been drawn up; the mobile press has been designed to meet all the relevant and necessary safety requirements and built specifically for this project.

Rematics AI for collection

Objectives

The project uses AI, computer vision and big data management to provide better insights into the quality of waste sorting in Belgium. To do this, a highly sensitive camera is attached to the back of a garbage truck that recognizes the different types of waste in real time as the garbage is unloaded into the truck. The underlying algorithm is first trained on the waste and can subsequently learn independently. The project can identify recyclable material, save it from the incinerator and feed it into a circular economy.

Current status

The project partner has already successfully created a first prototype and now wants to handcraft another 15 devices to distribute them to interested recycling companies and thus have the devices tested in real-life scenarios. 

Our partnership with the Alliance to End Plastic Waste

As a manufacturer of plastic packaging, we undoubtedly have a particular responsibility. After all, it is our own products that could potentially become a burden on the environment. Plastic pollution is a global problem that can only be solved through collective action. 

That is why we at Greiner have been a partner of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste since 2020. This organization has declared war on plastic waste, as its name suggests. The Alliance to End Plastic Waste is a global non-profit organization established in 2019 to fight plastic pollution worldwide. The Alliance brings together companies across the entire plastics value chain – from manufacturers to consumer goods companies and recyclers. The goal is to develop, implement, and promote specific solutions to reduce plastic waste in the environment and create a sustainable circular economy for plastics.

The partnership perfectly aligns with Greiner's vision of a more sustainable future. It shows that we are not only committed to sustainable solutions internally, but are also actively involved in protecting our environment on a global level. Here, Greiner can both benefit from the experiences of others and contribute its own expertise.

Stefan Grafenhorst
Stefan Grafenhorst - Greiner Vice President Sustainability & Corporate Communications
Vice President Sustainability & Corporate Communications
 
Complex challenges such as the establishment of a circular economy require joint solutions – across all countries, industries and stages of the value chain.