Intelligent material recovery

The document explores the application of AI in material recovery facilities (MRFs) in South Africa, specifically focusing on the solutions provided by Dragonfly. It argues that AI can augment human labour rather than replace it, particularly in developing economies where labour is cheap but efficiency is often low due to human error. Dragonfly's system uses high-resolution cameras and deep learning to classify waste, providing real-time data to optimise picker performance and conveyor speeds. In Cape Town and Stellenbosch, this technology increased material recovery by approximately 640 tonnes, reduced tailings by 22% to 30%, and led to a 10-15% wage increase for staff.

• Dragonfly provides a cost-effective AI solution using high-resolution cameras and deep learning algorithms to identify and classify waste materials by type, shape, and colour. The system currently identifies 20 waste items, with plans to expand this to 60 items by the end of 2025. This hardware integrates with a data management platform that allows for remote, real-time monitoring of facility performance via a mobile app and AI-powered chatbot.
• The implementation of Dragonfly's technology in municipal MRFs in Cape Town and Stellenbosch over one year resulted in the recovery of approximately 640 tonnes of material that would have otherwise been discarded as tailings. This increased recovery generated roughly R0.4 million in additional revenue and reduced tailing tonnages by 22% to 30%, leading to projected disposal savings of approximately R0.44 million.
• AI integration in South African material recovery can support a 'just transition' by augmenting labour rather than replacing it. In the studied cases, improved operational efficiency led to a 10-15% wage increase for staff and shifted employment from short-term roles managing inefficiencies to more secure, long-term positions.

APA

Minnaar, L., & Smout, S. (n.d.). Intelligent material recovery. GreenCape. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Dragonfly-Case-Study-FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Minnaar, Logan, and Sam Smout. Intelligent material recovery. GreenCape, n.d. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Dragonfly-Case-Study-FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Minnaar |first1=Logan |last2=Smout |first2=Sam |title=Intelligent material recovery |publisher=GreenCape |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Dragonfly-Case-Study-FINAL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{minnaarndintelligent, author = {Minnaar, Logan and Smout, Sam}, title = {{Intelligent material recovery}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Dragonfly-Case-Study-FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }