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“When people think of combating climate change, recycling is not often the first thing they think of. Glacier cofounder says that recycling is one of the few climate solutions that can make a significant impact right away, as all the infrastructure is either already in place or is being developed now. Areeb Malik, a former Facebook software engineer.
Recycling dramatically reduces carbon emissions because it reduces the energy used in manufacturing, which is still primarily powered primarily by fossil fuels. For example, recycling aluminum can save 95% of the energy required for manufacturing, while recycling steel can save 70% of that energy.
Half of all US recyclables end-up in the landfill. This is partly because recycling facilities rely heavily upon human sorting and have experienced persistent, large-scale labor shortages. Many facilities are in crisis mode and have a staff shortage of up to 50%. There is no end in sight.
Glacier has created the first ever affordable, high-performing sortation machine. Its robot costs as little as 60% and performs at the same level or better than other robots. Glacier’s robot is half the size of its peers and requires very few facility retrofits. Many recycling robots can take up to 10 years to pay back hardware and retrofit costs. Glacier’s robot is able to pay back in one year.
“Almost every facility is interested robotic sorters, but they have assumed robots are impossible to afford due to their inconsistent ROI and high cost.” Cofounder of Glacier says customers are shocked to learn about what Glacier has to offer.” Rebecca Hu, a former Bain & Co. consultant. “We have been overwhelmed by the customer enthusiasm for my product.”
Glacier was founded in 2019 and has had many successful pilots, earning it widespread recognition, including a highly sought-after spot in Michigan’sThe state-run recycling accelerator. Also, the Centrepolis Accelerator awarded the Best Circular Economy Technology Award. The company installed its first robot commercially at a large recycle facility in April. California. The robot is sorting eight target materials across two conveyor belts simultaneously–an extremely complex task that no other robot on the market can perform. The company has contracts for more installations and plans to rapidly scale up to meet the growing demand.
Glacier’s robot was the company’s initial product to help it achieve its goal of eliminating all waste. Glacier is not only using robotics but also leverages its computer vision to power real time waste intelligence. This gives facilities and municipalities in-depth insight into their waste streams, and identifies new opportunities for better staffing.
“Solving the acute labor shortages in the recycling industry with intelligent robotics, AI is a huge commercial opportunity but also an important step towards significantly reducing emissions,” says Ann Bordetsky, partner at NEA. “We are proud to support Glacier’s passionate and experienced team as they introduce automation to an industry that we all depend on every day.
About the NEA
New Enterprise Associates, Inc. is a global venture fund that assists entrepreneurs in building transformative businesses across many stages, sectors, and geographic locations. Nearly $24 billionNEA has invested in technology and healthcare companies since its inception in 1977. The firm has invested in more than 260 portfolio companies and over 430 mergers or acquisitions. www.nea.com
Glaciers
Glacier is the inventor of the first affordable, high performing, and space-efficient AI-enabled robotic recycling machine. Based in San Francisco, CAThe company is committed to combating climate change by eliminating waste. www.endwaste.io
SOURCE Glacier
