Sorting Out the Future: How Emerging Technologies Are Unlocking New Recovery Pathways

25 Feb, 2026

While the common notion about processes in the sustainability and recycling sector seem straightforward, such as throwing your used glass or plastic bottles in the curbside bin, behind the scenes, the industry has seen major developments in new innovation that have changed what’s possible when it comes to recovering complex waste streams.

For nearly 20 years, Close the Loop has focused on hard-to-recycle products such as toner/ink cartridges, cosmetic packaging, and small electronics. New technological advancements can change the game in how these products are responsibly and sustainably processed.

Mini Deep Dive: Innovation Is Empowering the Circular Potential of Hard-to-Recycle Waste

Historically, many hard-to-recycle products fall outside the capabilities of traditional material recovery facilities (MRF) due to their mixed material composition, size, contamination risk, and more. Additionally, widely utilized design for recycling practices and consistent utilization of recycled content has proven challenging for the producers of these products, leading to an over-reliance on virgin resources and an unsustainable volume of single-use products going into landfill.

Initially, pioneering technologies, such as mechanical recycling, revolutionized the industry. Recently, a new wave of innovation is beginning to address some of the long-standing challenges faced by producers and recovery facilities.

For example, artificial intelligence-driven sorting systems are being deployed to identify materials not just by size or color, but by shape and composition. As this technology is more broadly commercialized, there is an opportunity to significantly improve the recovery of multi-material items that would otherwise be sent to landfill. Read more.

Even packaging itself has seen new, impressive innovations. Initiatives such as HolyGrail 2.0 are in the pilot phase of using digital watermarks embedded directly into packaging artwork, allowing for a product’s material composition and intended use to be identified during the sorting process.

Innovation has always been the driver of the most important advancements in the industry. Guided by our commitment to zero waste to landfill, Close the Loop has built its reputation on practical, efficient, forward-looking solutions, taking on complex material recovery challenges that are often overlooked. See how Close the Loop can help.

These examples of innovation are part of a broader industry shift: making complex, post commercial/consumer waste recoverable at scale, ensuring hard-to-recycle materials can be returned to productive use within a circular economy.

Words of Wisdom

“If it can’t be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned, or removed from production.”

— Pete Seeger

What’s Up in the Market?

Push to Implement Packaging EPR gains momentum

A national implementation working group led by the National Stewardship Action Council expanded its packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model beyond California this month, reflecting the growing urgency among policymakers to operationalize EPR legislation already passed at the state level.

Machine Learning Tackles Multilayer Packaging

Last week, research group The Bottle Consortium published new research that announced the first edition of a new innovation: using machine learning AI-based tools to redesign multilayer film packaging so it can be mechanically or chemically recycled.

Know Your Term: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy tool where manufacturers and brand owners take responsibility for the lifecycle of their products, particularly for take-back, recycling, and disposal. Waste management costs are shifted from local governments to producers, encouraging more sustainable packaging and design, and greater engagement with recyclers and end users.

Close the Loop Employee Spotlight: Jacob Vrolijk

As part of the Close the Loop team for nearly five years, Mechanical Engineer Jacob Vrolijk has had a front-row seat to innovation in action, playing a hands-on role in developing the systems and processes which help CtL responsibly manage hard-to-recycle materials.

“There’s all kinds of recycling equipment here (at Close the Loop) that we’ve had for quite a while, but now, we are really focusing on the process of metal separation. The big thing for us lately is how do we get an end-product from our recycling processes that’s going to make it the easiest to circulate back into the market,” said Vrolijk. “We’re innovating to get a really precise profile of our outbound streams.”

Jacob’s work supports Close the Loop’s mission to keep valuable materials in circulation and out of landfills, helping transform some of today’s toughest disposal challenges into practical, sustainable outcomes.

“From the very beginning, it became apparent to me that while we may have everything we need, maybe we aren’t solving the right problems. I constantly am looking at things we often throw away, and wondering, ‘How can we get some sort of sustainable value out of this?’”

Thanks for reading In The Loop! Keep an eye out for our next edition, coming to your feed and inbox next month!