Packaging Brothers Podcast

How EverestLabs.AI Is Transforming Recycling with Apurba Pradhan

April 20, 2023
How EverestLabs.AI Is Transforming Recycling with Apurba Pradhan
Packaging Brothers Podcast
More Info
Packaging Brothers Podcast
How EverestLabs.AI Is Transforming Recycling with Apurba Pradhan
Apr 20, 2023

EverestLabs.AI is a startup that focuses on the sorting facilities within recycling. They use a camera, a 3D camera, and robotics to sort valuable recyclable commodities. The AI model can detect hundreds of objects within a frame very accurately, which is a hard technical problem to solve. They are deployed in several facilities and are growing rapidly.
On this episode, we'll talk about:

  • Does the robotics have the capability of even doing a better job than humans sitting there going through it?
  • Does having these robotics sort out the materials at the end, boost the MRF's profitability, or is it a break even point?
  • What are the materials that the robots are optimized to collect the most of, and which ones are they unable to capture?
  • Does it ever get tricked?
  • With materials like glass and aluminum, are there different ways that those are collected at MRF's currently? And can robots be used to improve that collection rate or not?
  • How did they settle on the type of robot that they picked?
  • Do they see that there's a lot of room for the robotics to continue to improve to make their robotics process that much more effective, or is it pretty good right now?
  • When Apurba first started getting into the recycling industry, what surprised him the most?
  • What does he put in the recycling bin as someone who has a solid understanding of what is genuinely recycled?
  • Are we still in the early adopter stage for MRFs using robots, or have we passed that point? Is it approaching mass adoption?
  • Of all the things Apurba could be focusing on, why did he pick this?

Apurba Pradhan has over 18 years of experience in the technology industry. He began his career as a Product Design Engineer at JDS Uniphase in 2002 and moved to Luxim Corporation in 2006 as Director of Product Marketing. In 2012, he joined Waterstone Management Group as a Management Consultant. In 2013, he became Vice President of Strategy, Marketing and Partnerships at LUMA Lighting Group. In 2016, he moved to Echelon as Head of Product Management and Senior Director. In 2019, he joined Adesto Technologies as Vice President of Products and Marketing. In 2021, he became Head of Business Unit and General Manager at Renesas Electronics, and in 2022, he joined EnOcean and EverestLabs.AI as SVP Strategy and Head of Product respectively.

For more information and to explore other episodes, go to www.ppcpackaging.com/the-packaging-brothers

Follow PPCPackaging on social media! :arrow_down:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-packaging-components-inc-/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCPackaging/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppcpackaging/?hl=en

Website: http://www.ppcpackaging.com/

Find out more about Apurba and connect with him on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apurba-pradhan-a5962114

Website: https://www.everestlabs.ai/

The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Packaging Brothers, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2023.

Show Notes

EverestLabs.AI is a startup that focuses on the sorting facilities within recycling. They use a camera, a 3D camera, and robotics to sort valuable recyclable commodities. The AI model can detect hundreds of objects within a frame very accurately, which is a hard technical problem to solve. They are deployed in several facilities and are growing rapidly.
On this episode, we'll talk about:

  • Does the robotics have the capability of even doing a better job than humans sitting there going through it?
  • Does having these robotics sort out the materials at the end, boost the MRF's profitability, or is it a break even point?
  • What are the materials that the robots are optimized to collect the most of, and which ones are they unable to capture?
  • Does it ever get tricked?
  • With materials like glass and aluminum, are there different ways that those are collected at MRF's currently? And can robots be used to improve that collection rate or not?
  • How did they settle on the type of robot that they picked?
  • Do they see that there's a lot of room for the robotics to continue to improve to make their robotics process that much more effective, or is it pretty good right now?
  • When Apurba first started getting into the recycling industry, what surprised him the most?
  • What does he put in the recycling bin as someone who has a solid understanding of what is genuinely recycled?
  • Are we still in the early adopter stage for MRFs using robots, or have we passed that point? Is it approaching mass adoption?
  • Of all the things Apurba could be focusing on, why did he pick this?

Apurba Pradhan has over 18 years of experience in the technology industry. He began his career as a Product Design Engineer at JDS Uniphase in 2002 and moved to Luxim Corporation in 2006 as Director of Product Marketing. In 2012, he joined Waterstone Management Group as a Management Consultant. In 2013, he became Vice President of Strategy, Marketing and Partnerships at LUMA Lighting Group. In 2016, he moved to Echelon as Head of Product Management and Senior Director. In 2019, he joined Adesto Technologies as Vice President of Products and Marketing. In 2021, he became Head of Business Unit and General Manager at Renesas Electronics, and in 2022, he joined EnOcean and EverestLabs.AI as SVP Strategy and Head of Product respectively.

For more information and to explore other episodes, go to www.ppcpackaging.com/the-packaging-brothers

Follow PPCPackaging on social media! :arrow_down:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-packaging-components-inc-/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCPackaging/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppcpackaging/?hl=en

Website: http://www.ppcpackaging.com/

Find out more about Apurba and connect with him on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apurba-pradhan-a5962114

Website: https://www.everestlabs.ai/

The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Packaging Brothers, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2023.