20 Jan 2026
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AI Innovation Hub Showcases Latest Innovations at Plastics Recycling Show Europe 2026

A dedicated AI Innovation Hub will showcase the latest AI-driven solutions in plastics recycling in an immersive experience, guiding visitors across the full value chain from feedstock and product design to collection, processing and material sourcing. Live demonstrations will include swarm-robot sorting technology from Antfarm and a phone-based AI material analysis solution from Safi.

Swarm Sorting Demonstration

Antfarm will showcase a major step forward in robotic waste sorting technology with its Swarm Alpha fleet of 6-10 robots that sort real-world waste streams including bottles, cans, and cartons.

Also launched at PRS Europe will be Antfarm Beta, a next-generation system designed to sort up to 10 times faster than Alpha. Antfarm Beta introduces a fundamentally different approach, with robots picking individual objects and placing them into onboard bins until full, enabling dramatically higher throughput.

The demonstration will also highlight Antfarm’s real-time vision system powered by advanced AI models, enabling accurate material recognition as sorting happens. A live dashboard will provide clear insights into system performance, including material types sorted, picks per minute, and revenue metrics.

Sébastien Willems, Co-founder & CEO, Antfarm said: “Compared to 2025, this year’s demonstration represents a major step change in both the range of materials that can be handled and the overall picking speed, underlining rapid progress in system throughput and maturity. Visitors will be amazed by how far our swarm has come.”

Phone-based AI Material Analysis Demonstration

Declan Clancy, Head of Product at Safi has outlined how visitors will be able to interact with its latest AI innovation: "You will be able to use AI on a phone to analyse a typical bale of recycled PET material. You will be able to see the AI working live and try it for yourself.”

AI is revolutionising recycling by streamlining material selection, product design, and collection routes. It improves sorting accuracy, reduces manual labour, and optimises facility performance to cut costs and environmental impact. AI platforms connect recyclers with processors, optimise pricing, and support data-driven decisions, while blockchain ensures full traceability and transparency.

Visit the PRS Europe website to register to attend the exhibition and conference. Registration is free until 5 April 2026 and will be charged at €50 thereafter: https://www.prseventeurope.com/prse2026/en/page/visitor-registration

To view YouTube highlights from PRSE 2025 watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns7j_jo9-RU&t=95s

 

Plastic Recycling Show Event Calendar

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Media Contact:
​Doug Bentall
​Iona Communications
​Tel: +44 7799 615319
​Email: doug@ionacommunications.com

PRE Contact:
​Guiomar Hernandez
​Tel: +32 2 887 64 89
​Email: guiomar.hernandez@plasticsrecyclers.eu

About the Plastics Recycling Show Europe
​The Plastics Recycling Show Europe (PRS Europe) is the annual exhibition and conference for plastics recycling professionals. It brings together key players from the plastics and recycling sectors to learn, network and capitalise on the business opportunities plastic recycling offers. The annual event is organised by Crain Communications and Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE) and next takes place at RAI, Amsterdam in the Netherlands 5-6 May 2026. Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE) is an organisation representing the voice of European plastics recyclers, who reprocess plastic waste into high-quality material destined for the production of new articles. Recyclers are important facilitators of the circularity of plastics and the transition towards the circular economy. The plastics recycling industry in Europe represents over €8.6 billion in turnover, 13.5 million tonnes of installed recycling capacity, around 850 recycling facilities, and over 30,000 employees.

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