Intelligent material recovery

This case study examines Dragonfly, a Cape Town-based start-up that provides AI-driven camera hardware and a data management platform to optimize material recovery facilities (MRFs). By integrating machine learning to analyze real-time waste sorting, the solution aims to increase recovery rates, reduce landfill tailings, and enhance job security for workers in developing economies like South Africa.

• Dragonfly provides a cost-effective AI analytics solution using high-resolution cameras and deep learning algorithms to identify and classify waste materials by color, shape, and type. The system currently identifies 20 waste items, with plans to expand this to 60 items by the end of 2025. The hardware is paired with a data management platform that allows for remote, real-time monitoring of facility performance, productivity, and automated reporting via a mobile app and AI chatbot.
• 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 been tailings, generating roughly R0.4 million in additional revenue. The technology reduced tailing tonnages by 22% to 30%, leading to projected disposal savings of approximately R0.44 million and helping operators meet contractual tailing obligations to avoid fines.
• The AI integration is designed to augment rather than replace human labor, which is particularly relevant for developing economies like South Africa where labor is inexpensive but advanced offshored technology is costly to maintain. In the studied cases, improved 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.
• Dragonfly utilizes a pay-as-you-go business model to make AI-powered analytics accessible to waste management clients. This model resulted in a 120% return on investment for the customers involved in the case study.

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} }