A Southern Tier company has been selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to receive about $400,000 to develop a rapidly deployable, autonomous robotic sorting system to improve recycling facilities in disadvantaged communities.
This grant awarded to KLAW Industries, LLC, in Binghamton, is part of the EPA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) initiative to support innovative solutions addressing environmental challenges, including waste management and sustainability. This week, EPA announced a total of $2.8 million in funding to seven small businesses through this program.
The recycling industry has largely remained unchanged since the 1980s, relying on manual labor and outdated machinery. This has resulted in high costs for municipalities, which face expensive and inefficient sorting practices. To address these issues, KLAW Industries has developed an automated robotic sorting system to modernize recycling processes. This new system is designed to quickly sort recyclables, potentially reducing costs for cities by 13%. It has demonstrated significant accuracy and efficiency, decreasing contamination levels and unnecessary hauling. During the initial phase, KLAW tested their system in Binghamton, achieving positive results. As they move forward, KLAW plans to implement a full-scale version of this technology, which could benefit various cities dealing with high recycling costs. The goal is to enhance recycling rates while also improving safety for workers in the industry.
For over 40 years, EPA’s SBIR program has funded small businesses as they create environmental technologies and bring them to the marketplace. SBIR projects are funded in a phased approach. For Phase I, EPA awards contracts of up to $100,000 for six months for “proof of concept” of the proposed technology. Small businesses that have received a Phase I award can compete for a Phase II award of $400,000 to further develop and commercialize the technology.
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