Advanced sorting technologies – Focus: Food Waste in Germany
With over one billion tons of food waste generated annually worldwide, contributing 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, effective sorting technologies are critical for environmental sustainability and resource recovery. This case story report focuses on Germany, which generates approximately 11 million tons of food waste per year, nearly 20% of EU’s total volume. The economic losses of this German food waste are estimated at around 30 billion euros annually, while it also is resposible for 4% of Germands greenhouse gas emissions. With the EU’s mandatory food waste sorting policy in force since 2024, advanced sorting technologies are essential to reduce per capita food waste 50%, by 2030 to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 goal.
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This report by IEA Bioenergy TCP Task 36 (Material and Energy Valorisation of Waste in a Circular Economy) provides an overview of the food waste sorting technologies available in the market from mechanical systems to artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Mechanical sorting employs shredders, vibrating screens, and magnetic separators but demonstrates lower efficiency in removing lightweight plastics and multilayer packaging. Optical and sensor-based systems utilize near-infrared spectroscopy and high-resolution cameras to differentiate organic materials from contaminants with high precision. Artificial intelligence-based systems achieve sorting accuracy exceeding 90% through deep learning algorithms and real-time classification. Advanced detection technologies including X-ray inspection, hyperspectral imaging, and metal detection provide complementary capabilities for quality assurance. Integration with Industry 4.0 infrastructure enables connectivity with enterprise systems, supporting cloud-based monitoring, traceability, and predictive maintenance. Real-time processing systems achieve sorting accuracies up to 99.9% with throughput capacities of several tons per hour.
In addition, this report highlights the food waste sector in Germany by presenting ReFood, a practical implementation at an industrial scale. Operating 12 anaerobic digestion facilities across Europe, ReFood processes up to 160,000 tonnes of food waste annually per facility using sophisticated mechanical separation systems. The Trossingen facility in Germany features dual processing lines for packaged and unpackaged waste streams. With nearly 100% material recovery rates, ReFood converts food waste into renewable energy, biomethane, and biofertilizer.
Advanced sorting technologies enable the circular economy by integrating mechanical, optical, AI-based, and detection systems with digital infrastructures to achieve high recovery rates while addressing the global challenge of food waste.
Key findings for policy makers:
- A wide range of advanced food sorting sorting technologies are already available in the market, from mechanical systems to artificial intelligence (AI) applications;
- Real-time processing systems achieve sorting accuracies up to 99.9% with throughput capacities of several tons per hour
- Advanced sorting technologies enable the circular economy by achieving high recovery rates while addressing the global challenge of food waste.
Download the summary report “Advanced sorting technologies for Food Waste”