The World Bank reported that approximately 2.24 billion tonnes of solid waste were generated in 2020, with projections indicating a 73% increase to 3.88 billion tonnes by 2050.

One major concern lies in the realm of plastic waste. Research conducted by the Universities of Georgia and California revealed that from the 1950s, when large-scale plastic production commenced, until 2015, over 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste had been produced.

Mikela Druckman, the founder of Greyparrot, a UK-based startup, is well aware of these alarming statistics. She has dedicated considerable time to studying our waste habits, leading to the creation of an AI system by Greyparrot. This system is specifically designed to analyze waste processing and recycling facilities.

Druckman emphasizes the continuous flow of waste, remarking, "In a single day, you will have literally mountains of waste in one facility coming through, and what's very shocking and surprising is that it never stops. There are no holidays for waste, it just keeps coming."

Greyparrot has strategically positioned cameras above conveyor belts in approximately 50 waste and recycling sites across Europe, leveraging AI software to perform real-time analysis of the materials passing through.

The advancements in AI technology have been remarkable in recent times, particularly in the field of image processing. Nevertheless, according to Ms. Druckman, training a system to identify waste remains a challenging task.

She explains, "When a product like a Coke bottle is discarded and ends up in the bin, it often becomes crumpled, crushed, and soiled, which significantly complicates the task from an AI perspective."

With Greyparrot's systems now monitoring an impressive 32 billion waste objects annually, the company has amassed a vast digital waste map. This valuable information not only enables waste managers to enhance operational efficiency but can also be shared more broadly.

According to Ms. Druckman, this data empowers regulators to gain a comprehensive understanding of waste management and problematic materials, ultimately influencing packaging design. She asserts, "It is allowing regulators to have a much better understanding of what's happening with the material, what materials are problematic, and it is also influencing packaging design."

Ms. Druckman highlights the interconnectedness of climate change and waste management, explaining that the reasons we consume resources excessively stem from our failure to recover them effectively. She believes that implementing stricter regulations to alter consumption patterns and packaging design would significantly impact the value chain and resource utilization.

Furthermore, she expresses hope that major brands and other producers will leverage data generated by companies like Greyparrot to drive the creation of more reusable products in the future.

Troy Swope leads a company dedicated to improving packaging, and Footprint has collaborated with supermarkets and Gillette to replace plastic razor trays with plant-based fiber alternatives.

In a blog post on Footprint's website, Mr. Swope argues that consumers are being misled by the "myth of recycling." He points out a plastic salad container labeled as "ready to recycle" and questions its actual fate.

According to Mr. Swope, "It's less likely than ever that their discarded single-use plastic ends up anywhere but a landfill. The only way out of the plastics crisis is to stop depending on it in the first place."

Ms. Druckman highlights the significant issue of greenwashing, stating, "We've seen a lot of claims about eco or green packaging, but sometimes they are not backed up with real facts and can be very confusing for the consumer."

To address the lack of transparency regarding the recycling of plastic bottles, UK-based company Polytag employs ultraviolet (UV) tags that are invisible to the human eye. These tags are applied to the used bottles, and when they reach designated recycling plants, a Polytag machine reads the tags. The number of bottles is then instantly uploaded to a cloud-based application accessible to Polytag's customers.

According to Rosa Knox-Bradley, the project manager at Polytag, "They can now have a clear view of the exact number of recycled bottles, which was previously inaccessible to these brands." Polytag has collaborated with UK retailers Co-Op and Ocado thus far.

To facilitate recycling and encourage more people to participate, the UK government, along with the administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland, plans to introduce a deposit return scheme in 2025. This scheme will involve the installation of "reverse vending machines" in stores and public areas where individuals can deposit used plastic bottles and metal beverage cans and receive monetary compensation, approximately 20p per item.

However, the search for an environmentally friendly method of waste disposal remains a challenging endeavor, as each year brings new trends that complicate the process.

The latest challenge in waste management arises from the surge in popularity of e-cigarettes, or vapes, which are generating a significant amount of electronic waste that is difficult to recycle.

Ray Parmenter, the head of policy and technical at the Chartered Institute of Waste Management, describes it as a "huge problem" that is continuously growing. He identifies disposable single-use vapes as a "fundamental issue" that contradicts the principles of the circular economy.

Disposal vapes comprise various materials such as plastics, metals, lithium batteries, and some even incorporate LED lights or microprocessors.

Research conducted by Material Focus, an organization advocating for increased recycling of electrical products, revealed that in the UK alone, approximately 1.3 million vapes are discarded each week. This translates to 10 tons of lithium ending up in landfills annually, equivalent to the power needed to operate 1,200 car batteries.

Mr. Parmenter emphasizes the importance of maximizing the use of critical raw materials like lithium, which are sourced from deep mines. Given the challenges involved in obtaining these resources, he argues that their efficient utilization becomes crucial.

Ms. Druckman views vapes as a prime example of the need for a shift in mindset. She suggests asking why single-use vapes exist in the first place, rather than solely focusing on recycling solutions that may not be economically or environmentally sensible.

While both industry and policymakers have significant roles to play in designing more recyclable or reusable products, consumers also have a part to play. Ms. Druckman emphasizes that the most significant change individuals can make is to consume less, highlighting the power of consumer choices in waste reduction.