Trash to Treasure: Opportunities for Turning Waste into Gain Julia Allen Analyst
Materials and Manufacturing 18 March 2015
Waste: Not good for casual conversation, but is it the next big growth opportunity? It is growing! The waste space is not one thing, but a value chain in need of cross industry solutions Photo credit: Alan Levine, Flickr
This diversity translates to opportunities for a broad collection of industries, from traditional waste management to big data
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Growth is there in the interconnected waste space
Waste generated (million tons/day)
Urban waste generation 2,500
926 million MT/day
2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 2010
2025
Lower income
Lower middle income
Upper middle income
High income Data source: The World Bank
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Opportunities don’t just exist for managing the growing volumes – today’s approaches are lacking
Photo credit: Terence Ong
Eugene, OR
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Opportunity in waste is really a choose-your-ownadventure game Technology family Traditional waste management
Chemical
Solid waste
Data analytics
Machine learning
Material
Sensors
Waste water
Element of the waste value Timeline to Type of revenue stream engagement generation opportunity Industrial robotics Collection Joint venture / Near term partnership Process Sorting equipment design Mid term
Licensing
Gaseous waste Processing Longer term Communication protocols
R&D collaboration
Offtake Offtaker
Acquisition target
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Collection: Deploys 2D image sensors to monitor the fullness of waste containers Transmits data over a cellular network and vision software determines depth from the 2D image Photo credit: Mark Ahsmann
Software package offers device management capabilities and software to efficiently route trucks
Adding connectivity and intelligence to a previously static, inefficient system through custom designed sensors and software 6
Sorting: Robotic waste sorting system sorts metal, wood, stone, and rigid plastic Targets mixed Construction and Demolition (C&D) and Commercial and Industrial (C&I) waste streams
Image source: ZenRobotics’ website
Sensor array and machine learning algorithms enable near real time: Identification of material Collection of objects with varying weights and orientations
Primary focus is on software – uses off the shelf products and partners for the hardware 7
Processing: Develops a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system for secondary wastewater treatment
State of the art 100% 90% 80% 70%
Multiple design elements target overall value proposition: Novel gas-permeable membranes reduce energy consumption by 43% Improved biofilm growth monitoring brings staffing costs down by 65% Advanced controls of the aeration process reduce sludge production by half
60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Energy consumption
Staff
Sludge production
Minimum footprint
Operating cost
Multiple, cross disciplinary advances combine into a single unit set to provide OpEx savings over traditional activated sludge treatment 8
Offtake: System converts CO2 into chemicals and fuels via a catalytic reaction and subsequent downstream processing
Image source: Liquid Light’s website
Processes have been shown for 60 products, ranging from one-carbon to six-carbon compounds Current focus is on the production on monoethylene glycol (MEG) Intends to co-locate facilities with CO2 emission sources
Converting waste into chemicals and fuels is new offshoot of the reverse supply chain model typically seen in the auto industry 9
Choose your own adventure and see how your company can leverage the opportunities in waste… Technology family Traditional waste management
Chemical
Solid waste
Data analytics
Machine learning
Material
Sensors
Waste water
Element of the waste value Timeline to Type of revenue stream engagement generation opportunity Industrial robotics Collection Joint venture / Near term partnership Process Sorting equipment design Mid term
Licensing
Gaseous waste Processing Longer term Communication protocols
R&D collaboration
Offtake Offtaker
Acquisition target
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Thank you
Julia Allen Analyst
[email protected] +1 617 502 5308
Lux Research Inc. 100 Franklin Street, 8th Floor Boston, MA 02110 USA Phone: +1 617 502 5300 Fax: +1 617 502 5301 www.luxresearchinc.com