California Waste Solutions adds AI scanning and improved optical sorting to two Bay Area locations

California Waste Solutions is making two targeted technology upgrades across its Bay Area material recovery facilities (MRF). Its Timothy MRF in San Jose is receiving Pellenc optical-sorting capacity, and its 10th Street MRF in Oakland is receiving EverestLabs AI scanners. 

The projects address different parts of the same operating challenge: identifying more recoverable material, improving the quality of sorted products, and giving facility teams better information about what is moving through the line.

Pellenc optical sorters will recover high-value materials and produce a cleaner output 

The San Jose project increases the capacity of existing Pellenc optical sorters, strengthening the facility's ability to recognize materials, recover targeted commodities, and produce cleaner output streams. 

"As a family-owned company, we put service and solutions before profit and have invested consistently in the most environmentally sound, client-supportive technologies," shared David Duong, founder and chief executive officer of California Waste Solutions. 

At the Timothy material recovery facility in San Jose, California Waste Solutions is increasing the capacity of its Pellenc optical sorters. Optical sorting uses sensors to recognize materials moving at high speed and separate selected commodities from the broader recycling stream. Increasing sorter capacity gives the facility more ability to recognize targeted products, recover them from the line, and improve the purity of the material prepared for market.

EverestLabs AI scanners improve data recovery 

The Oakland project has a different purpose. At the 10th Street MRF, California Waste Solutions is newly installing AI scanners from EverestLabs to observe material entering the container line and report what the system sees before that material is destined for disposal. The first value is straightforward: count the items. That count creates an operating record of what is reaching the end of the process, allowing facility teams to see recurring patterns instead of relying only on periodic observations.

The scanners will also report on belt burden depth and the amount of exposed belt surface, giving operators additional information about how much material is moving past sorters at a given time. That matters because a sorting line can be harder to work when the burden is too deep, or material arrives unevenly. Better information about belt conditions can help operators control material flow so employees have a clearer opportunity to see and recover targeted items.

Turning collected data into measurable improvements 

For years, recycling facilities have measured performance through production totals, quality checks, equipment data, and the experience of employees who know how material behaves on the line. The EverestLabs scanners add another layer: continuous item-level observation. Instead of asking only how much material was processed, California Waste Solutions can begin asking what the scanners saw, what continued toward disposal, and what operating conditions were present when that happened.

"First and foremost, we are a family company. Every employee at California Waste Solutions is a member of our own family. What this means is a customer-first centricity which translates into empowering employees to make decisions and supports them with new technologies," said Michael Duong, president, California Waste Solutions. 

The purpose is not to remove judgment from the sorting floor. The data gives employees another way to investigate what they are already seeing. If a particular recyclable material repeatedly appears in the scanner data near the end of the line, facility teams can examine the upstream process, equipment settings, belt loading, and sorting conditions that may be contributing to the loss.

That distinction is important. An AI scanner can recognize and count objects, but a material recovery facility still depends on operators, sorters, mechanics, and supervisors who understand the equipment and the incoming stream. The value of the new system will come from how effectively those employees use the information to adjust the operation.

Measurement and purity levels both matter in performance 

The two projects also highlight two different measures that matter inside a material recovery facility.

Recovery is about capturing more of the recyclable material that should be separated from the stream. Purity is about how clean the finished commodity is after sorting. A facility can improve one without automatically improving the other, which is why California Waste Solutions is investing in both sorting capacity and better operating data.

At Timothy, increased Pellenc capacity is aimed directly at recognition, recovery, and product purity. At 10th Street, the EverestLabs scanners will help quantify what is reaching the end of the container line and provide information about belt burden and material flow. Together, those upgrades give California Waste Solutions more visibility into both the effectiveness of the separation process and the quality of the conditions under which employees are sorting.

This is especially relevant in a recycling stream that changes from load to load. Packaging formats change, the mix of materials changes, and contamination can alter how material moves through equipment. A line that performs well under one set of conditions may need different settings or flow control under another. More precise observation makes those changes easier to identify and respond.

California Waste Solutions has used optical sorting technology in its U.S. facilities since the mid-2000s. The current projects build on that operating experience without treating every new technology as the same tool. In San Jose, the focus is greater optical-sorting capacity. In Oakland, the focus is AI-based visibility into what the line is seeing and what may still be escaping recovery.

"We were ahead in our use of optical sorting technology, and we plan to remain ahead for a very long time by employing these latest AI additions," added Michael. 

Adding increased capacity for robotics and AI tools

The Oakland scanner installation is also intended to create a stronger data foundation for future decisions. A next phase under consideration could include robotic sorting, additional optical sorting, or a combination of the two. California Waste Solutions has not treated those options as predetermined. The scanner data will help show where another recovery technology could have the greatest operating value.

That sequence matters because robotics and optical sorters solve specific problems. Adding equipment without understanding the material that is being missed can increase complexity without improving recovery. By first measuring what is moving toward disposal, how often it appears, and under what belt conditions, California Waste Solutions can make the next investment against a clearer operating picture.