Osnabrück/Tübingen. Annually, according to the Federal Environment Agency about 86 million tons of debris and waste at construction sites. Often, these materials end up in landfills. This results in valuable resources being lost. The solution: high-quality recycling of debris avoids climate-damaging emissions and keeps valuable materials in the recycling loop – all while maintaining certified equivalent quality. To automate the recycling of materials in the construction sector, the startup is developing Optocycle from Tübingen a system based on artificial intelligence (AI) for real-time monitoring. The German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) is funding the project with around 170,000 euros.
Real-time quality monitoring in the production of recycling granulates
More environmental protection in the construction industry: The team of the startup Optocycle (image) from Tübingen is developing an AI-supported method for construction waste recycling. The German Federal Foundation for the Environment (DBU) is funding the project with around 170,000 euros.
DBU Secretary General Alexander Bonde sees great potential for more environmental protection in the construction industry. Here, medium-sized companies could serve as role models with innovative solutions. Bonde: "The Errichtung neuer Gebäude The construction of new buildings already follows clear guidelines for greater efficiency and sustainability. The same must also be considered in the future after the demolition of houses and structures." A solution for this is provided by the startup Optocycle GmbH from Tübingen. As part of the DBU-Green Startup-Fund they have developed an AI-based system for the automatic, reproducible classification of construction waste. Building on this, a prototype is now to enable real-time monitoring of recycled aggregates from construction debris. The DBU is funding the project with around 170,000 euros. Optocycle co-founder Max-Frederick Gerken: "Currently, the processing process of construction debris in the industry is mostly based on subjective estimates." The end product is also only checked sporadically in the laboratory. According to Gerken, the Optocycle system makes "real-time monitoring of recycled aggregates possible. This way, the quality of the aggregate can be improved and more material can be transferred to concrete production," Gerken said.
Less waste in the landfill
The system combines modern optical sensors with artificial intelligence, according to Gerken, thus solving a well-known problem in the construction industry. The startup co-founder stated, "Currently, the quality of recycled raw materials often fluctuates. This poses an economic risk for companies and leads to the loss of valuable materials." Optocycle expects that with its development, there will be a 20 percent increase in the amount of recycled, high-quality aggregates, as well as a 15 percent reduction in waste that would otherwise end up in landfills. According to Gerken, both the incoming rubble is "optimally classified" and the results are transparently verified. The cooperation partner in this endeavor is Heinrich Feeß GmbHthat, according to Gerken, has been collaborating with Optocycle for many years. The co-founder continued: "The technology contributes to the circular economy in construction. We help improve the quality of secondary raw materials obtained from construction waste. This solution can also be prospectively applied to all waste streams."
Simple retrofitting in existing construction waste recycling plants
The Optocycle system can be installed directly into existing facilities for processing construction waste, according to Gerken – "directly above the conveyor belt." This simple retrofit saves costs and enables the rapid implementation of innovative construction debris recycling. "Because only if recycling is financially feasible can the circular economy succeed in the construction industry," says Gerken – an approach that has already been applied in Startup-Fun through DBU was in the foreground. Here, the developed system impressed with high accuracy in the classification of different types of construction waste. According to Gerken, this should now be built upon to make the circular economy in concrete production more attractive with high-quality secondary raw materials.
Every good solution provides enormous relief for the climate
First demolition, then recycling: Approximately 86 million tons of construction waste are generated nationwide each year. For reuse, Optocycle is developing a sophisticated process with around 170,000 euros in funding from the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU).
Circular economy in the construction industry has, according to the responsible DBU representative Dr. Volker Berding, important effects for climate protection: "The production of ever new concrete leads to high emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases." One WWF-Study According to reports, the production of cement – the most important component of concrete – accounts for eight percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Berding: "Everything that contributes to emission reduction already has a significant impact on climate protection." However, a circular economy only works "if the secondary raw materials do not differ in quality from new production. This is exactly the step that Optocycle can take with a scalable, optimized prototype."