State-of-the-art computer vision technology at small recycling centres
Many operators of small recycling yards think that automated material recognition is only for the big players. Too complex, too expensive, too much system for just a few deliveries per day. The BHRZ Parsberg did not think so – and has been demonstrating since the beginning of 2026 why this assumption can be a costly mistake.
What is the BHRZ Parsberg?
BHRZ Bauschutt- und Holzrecycling Zentrum Parsberg GmbH is a manageable recycling business in Parsberg, in the Upper Palatinate, in the middle of the Bavarian Jura. Around 20 deliveries arrive there every day – not a large-scale operation, but one with clear quality standards. The company accepts mineral construction waste, wood, plastic film, waste tyres and other recyclables and recycles them responsibly.
The managing directors Silvester and Fritz Hiller have been running Fritz Hiller GmbH for years, an established company in the natural stone trade – rooted in a region known for its limestone. The BHRZ is their new mainstay: same region, new premises, new industry – but with the same commitment to quality.
The argument that counts: a single wrong deposit is enough
Mineral construction waste sounds like a manageable material stream. But it is not. Plasterboard, aerated concrete or asbestos that end up in the wrong pile can render an entire batch unusable – with direct consequences for revenues, disposal costs and regulatory compliance.
And that is precisely the core of the issue: with around 20 deliveries per day, only a single one needs to go wrong to cause significant damage. The volume does not protect you – it only reduces the time window in which an error becomes visible.
Silvester Hiller was aware of this when he set up the BHRZ. That is why he looked for a solution to automate delivery control at an early stage – and contacted Optocycle by email.
Silvester Hiller
— Managing Director BHRZ Parsberg
“Even with a smaller delivery volume, it makes a lot of sense – because individual incorrect deposits can have enormous economic consequences.”
From the first phone call to installation
Optocycle co-founder Max-Frederick Gerken recalls the first contact: “In the first phone calls with Silvester, we hit it off straight away.” According to him, the subsequent online meeting went “very well and successfully” – both generations of the Hiller family were convinced from the start.
This was followed by an on-site appointment in the Bavarian Jura. Together, they analysed the site, the entrance, the logistics – and determined where the Truck Imager should best be positioned. The installation followed quickly. The system has been running productively since the beginning of 2026.
How the Truck Imager works – even with small volumes
The Truck Imager is Optocycle's machine learning solution for automatic material recognition directly at the weighbridge. The camera captures the cargo bed of every incoming truck during weighing. A machine learning model analyses the recording in real time via edge computing and immediately provides an objective assessment of the material composition – including contaminants.
This is crucial, especially for smaller yards like the BHRZ:
Every single delivery counts – with only a few trucks per day, there is no large volume to cushion an error
No staff deployment required – the system runs fully automatically, without additional effort at the yard
Objective documentation – in the event of a complaint, there is image data, not opinions
Growth on a solid foundation – those who document cleanly from the start scale up without blind spots
Insights into the small but fine recycling yard
Conclusion: Small recycling yards benefit at least as much as large ones.
On closer inspection, the argument “We are still too small” turns on its head. Precisely because BHRZ Parsberg is a young, manageable business, every wrong deposit has a disproportionately strong impact. Computer vision-based delivery control is not a luxury here – it is risk management.
Silvester Hiller puts it in a nutshell: “We wanted to know what was coming to us from the start. Not guess – know.”
If you run a small or medium-sized recycling yard and are wondering whether Optocycle makes sense for you too: BHRZ Parsberg is proof that the answer is yes.
Do you run a recycling yard and want to automate your delivery control? Arrange a non-binding appointment with Optocycle now.