China is accelerating the use of artificial intelligence in urban waste management, with cities across the country adopting smart technologies to improve garbage sorting and recycling efficiency.

In Guangzhou, an AI-powered sorting system at a waste compression station is using hyperspectral imaging technology to identify and separate plastics that are difficult to distinguish with the human eye, including polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride and high-density polyethylene. The technology can also sort plastic films by material type, helping increase the accuracy and value of recyclable waste recovery.

Since its pilot launch, the system has processed 26,000 tonnes of waste and recovered over 10,000 tonnes of recyclable materials, while cutting garbage disposal costs by more than US$250,000.

The development comes as China pushes to raise its urban household waste recycling rate above 76 percent by 2030. The country is also marking its fourth national urban household waste sorting publicity week from May 25 to 31.