Sort More, Pay Less: 30 Recycling Robots Compared From $6,000 a Month to $300,000 Outright
A waste sorting robot's real value shows up in your contamination rate, not an accuracy claim measured on the manufacturer's cleanest demo stream. See real pricing and performance context from 26 manufacturers before choosing. Whether you want to buy, hire or lease, every one of the 30 recycling & waste sorting robots for sale below links straight to the manufacturer, with specifications pulled from their own site, not a reseller.
Key takeaways
- Judge by bale purity on your stream, not demo accuracy.
- RaaS reduces risk for smaller facilities.
- Line integration is a large part of the cost.
Compare the top picks
| Model | Maker | At a glance | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| InSystem 2nd Generation Recycling Robot | InSystem B.V. | Pick rate: Up to 60 objects per minute (1 object per second) | Detection accuracy: Over 95 percent | 2nd generation units listed at 85,000 euro or 45,000 euro depending on configuration (1st generation at 135,000 euro); flexible leasing also available |
| AMP Cortex | AMP Robotics | Pick Rate: 80-120 picks/minute (up to 160/minute in dual-robot Cortex DRS) | Sorting Accuracy: Up to 99% | Approximately $300,000 outright purchase, or approximately $6,000/month lease |
| Fraunhofer IPA Rob@t2Cell Robotic EV Battery Dismantling and Discharge Platform | Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA), consortium led by Umicore | Project name: Rob@t2Cell (Automated Circular Economy Plant with Intelligent Discharge and Reconditioning of Battery Cells for a Circular Battery Value Chain) | Funding: 5.09 million euros from Germany's Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) | N/A (government-funded research project; industrial licensing to follow via Fraunhofer IPA) |
| RoB@t2Cell | Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA), with industrial and research partners | Type: Robot-assisted EV battery cell dismantling, discharge and sorting platform | Core Function: Automated contacting systems, intelligent battery characterization, real-time decision-making and adaptive discharge mechanisms integrated into one platform | Not sold commercially, research platform funded by Germany's BMFTR, industrial pilot testing underway |
| Machinex SamurAI - AI Waste Sorting Robot | Machinex Industries Inc. | Arm design: 4-axis articulated robot, suction gripping mechanism, payload 1.25 kg, reach 1.3-1.6 m | AI platform: MIND, Machinex-engineered computer vision and machine learning | Contact Machinex for a quote; official pricing not published |
Not sure which model fits your job, or want help with hire or lease terms? Email J2R with what you need done and your budget, and we will shortlist real options and help broker the deal.
Real case
AI on the sorting belt
AMP Robotics' AI sorting systems pick recyclables from conveyor belts at US recycling facilities, targeting the dirty, high-turnover sorter jobs and higher bale value.
The lesson for buyers: Measure purity and turnover, not picks per minute alone.
Source: AMP Robotics company information
Want a result like this? Tell us the task and budget and we will reply with real options, prices and lease terms.
How to choose
Recycling and waste sorting robots use computer vision and robotic arms to sort materials on a line, plus a newer sub category of EV battery disassembly robots for end of life battery recycling.
Material stream and contamination rate
Sorting accuracy depends heavily on what is actually in your waste stream and how contaminated it is. Ask the manufacturer for performance data on a material mix similar to yours, not their cleanest demo stream, since real world contamination significantly affects sort accuracy.
Throughput versus accuracy trade off
Faster line speed generally reduces sort accuracy. Compare units at the actual line speed you run, not at the manufacturer's optimal demonstration speed, which is often slower than a real facility's throughput requirement.
Integration with existing sorting lines
Most buyers are adding a robot to an existing material recovery facility rather than building a line from scratch. Confirm physical and software integration with your existing conveyor and sorting equipment before purchase.
Buy, hire or lease
Given the facility specific integration required, this category is almost always a capital purchase with an installation project, rather than a short term rental. J2R can help connect you with manufacturers experienced in retrofitting existing facilities.
Before you buy
A recycling robot will not pay for itself: run the numbers first
A sorting robot is worth what it does to your bale purity and picker headcount. Accuracy measured on a clean demo stream says little about your contaminated belt on a Monday morning.
The most common mistake is comparing the price of the machine with the salary of one employee. A report prepared for the US National Institute of Standards and Technology found that a complete robotic system tends to cost three to four times the robot itself once integration is counted, and the money comes back only when the process around the robot changes. Start with the job and the number you want to move, not with the catalogue.
What you are really paying for
| Cost line | What to budget for |
|---|---|
| Line integration | Conveyor modifications, chutes, bunkers and controls. |
| Vision training | Training on your material stream; ongoing model updates. |
| RaaS or purchase | Monthly fees versus outright purchase. |
| Maintenance | Grippers, suction cups and cleaning in dusty conditions. |
| Downtime | Line stoppages during installation. |
Measure this before you ask for a quote
- Picks per hour per manual sorter
- Bale purity and price penalties
- Sorter headcount, turnover and safety incidents
- Contamination rates by stream
- Throughput tonnes per hour
When to walk away
- Material stream is too variable for the vision system
- Belt layout cannot accommodate the robot
- Commodity prices do not reward higher purity
Where the payback actually comes from
Payback comes from higher bale value, fewer manual sorters on hazardous belts and steady quality across shifts. RaaS reduces risk for smaller facilities.
Payback (years) = total investment ÷ annual net benefit
Total investment = equipment + integration, site work, tooling, training + output lost during start-up
Annual net benefit = savings you can prove − service, parts, energy, software and supervision
Total investment = equipment + integration, site work, tooling, training + output lost during start-up
Annual net benefit = savings you can prove − service, parts, energy, software and supervision
Six questions to put to every recycling robot vendor
- Picks per minute on my stream?
- Accuracy measured on whose material?
- RaaS terms and minimum period?
- Integration requirements?
- Maintenance intervals?
- References at similar facilities?
Quick payback calculator
Rough first pass only. Use the prices in the tables on this page, or real country prices from the J2R 100 Robot Price Index.
Enter the annual savings you can actually prove to see payback.
All 30 recycling & waste sorting robots for sale in the catalog
| Model | Manufacturer | Country | At a glance | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMP Cortex | AMP Robotics | USA | Pick Rate: 80-120 picks/minute (up to 160/minute in dual-robot Cortex DRS) | Sorting Accuracy: Up to 99% | Approximately $300,000 outright purchase, or approximately $6,000/month lease | Visit manufacturer site → |
| AMP Robotics Cortex AI Recycling Robot | AMP Robotics | USA | Sub-Category: AI-Guided Robotic Material Sorting System | Pick Speed: 80-160 items/minute | Not disclosed | Visit manufacturer site → |
| AMP Vortex - AI-Powered Film and Flexible Packaging Recovery Robot | AMP Robotics Corp. | USA | Function: AI-powered vacuum-style capture system that hovers over the conveyor belt to suck up film plastic before it contaminates other material streams | AI Platform: Powered by AMP Neuron, the same computer vision AI that guides AMP's Cortex robotic sorters, adapted for film-specific identification | Contact AMP Robotics | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Apple Daisy iPhone Disassembly Robot | Apple Inc. | USA (Austin, Texas) | Throughput: Disassembles up to 200 iPhones per hour, roughly 1.2 million devices per year per robot | Model coverage: Handles 29 different iPhone models as of 2024, up from 9 models at its 2018 launch and 18 models about a year and a half earlier | Not sold commercially; operated exclusively by Apple at its own recycling facilities | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Bollegraaf RoBB-AQC | Bollegraaf Recycling Machinery B.V. | Netherlands (Appingedam, Groningen) | Throughput: Up to 70 picks per minute per module in AQC (quality control) configuration; up to 600 picks/minute across a full 10-module master-slave line | Detection: Near-infrared (NIR) camera plus height/3D detection for material recognition; the first sorting robot to combine NIR with AI-powered learning per the manufacturer | Contact Bollegraaf Recycling Solutions (or Van Dyk Recycling Solutions, exclusive North American distributor) for a facility-specific quote; typically sold as a modular multi-unit system rather than a single fixed price | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Bulk Handling Systems Max-AI AQC-C Robotic Sorter | Bulk Handling Systems (BHS) | USA | Configuration: Max-AI VIS (Visual Identification System) paired with one or more collaborative CoBot sorting arms | Pick rate: Up to 40 picks per minute per sorter, up to 3 material types per unit | Contact Bulk Handling Systems for a quote; official pricing not published | Visit manufacturer site → |
| TrashBot | CleanRobotics | USA (Longmont, Colorado) | Payload: Built-in screen up to 55 inches for corporate communications and recycling education | Range: TrashBot Zero sorts into up to 4 streams; TrashBot Slim is 50% smaller with 2-stream sorting | Contact CleanRobotics for pricing | Visit manufacturer site → |
| H.E.R.O. Series 2 | Danu Robotics | Edinburgh, Scotland, UK | Type: Modular multi-arm AI-guided waste sorting robot (dry mixed recyclables) | Arm Configuration: Two-arm picking system, additional arms in development for full DMR mix coverage | Contact manufacturer (low CapEx installation model) | Visit manufacturer site → |
| DataBeyond Fastsort-Textile | DataBeyond Technology (Shenzhen DataBeyond Technology Co., Ltd.) | Shenzhen, China | Recognition Technology: AI vision recognition combined with hyperspectral (SPEC) sensing | Throughput: Approx. 2 tonnes per hour, sorts 100 kg of clothing in 2 to 3 minutes | Contact DataBeyond | Visit manufacturer site → |
| RecycleOS Robotics | EverestLabs, Inc. | USA (Fremont, California) | AI training data: Neural network trained on 4B+ recyclable objects, continuously updated | Material classes: Sorts into 50+ material classes | Contact EverestLabs (enterprise/RaaS pricing) | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Fraunhofer IPA Rob@t2Cell Robotic EV Battery Dismantling and Discharge Platform | Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA), consortium led by Umicore | Germany | Project name: Rob@t2Cell (Automated Circular Economy Plant with Intelligent Discharge and Reconditioning of Battery Cells for a Circular Battery Value Chain) | Funding: 5.09 million euros from Germany's Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) | N/A (government-funded research project; industrial licensing to follow via Fraunhofer IPA) | Visit manufacturer site → |
| RoB@t2Cell | Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA), with industrial and research partners | Germany (Stuttgart) | Type: Robot-assisted EV battery cell dismantling, discharge and sorting platform | Core Function: Automated contacting systems, intelligent battery characterization, real-time decision-making and adaptive discharge mechanisms integrated into one platform | Not sold commercially, research platform funded by Germany's BMFTR, industrial pilot testing underway | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Hoooly | Ganiga Innovation | Italy (Bientina, Pisa) | Category: AI-enabled robotic waste bin (household/small-business form factor) | AI: Generative AI-based waste identification and sorting; multimodal algorithm identifies brand, material, weight and CO2 impact from a single image | Hardware-as-a-Service model; contact Ganiga Innovation | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Glacier AI Sorting Robot | Glacier (End Waste Inc.) | USA (San Francisco, California) | Material recognition: Identifies and sorts more than 70 types of recyclable materials | Pick rate: Up to 45-50 picks per minute | Contact Glacier (reported at roughly half the cost of comparable robotic sortation) | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Teia | Hiro Robotics | Italy (Genoa) | Type: Three-station robotic FPD (flat panel display) disassembly system, built on ABB robot arms | Throughput: 60 to 90 monitors and TVs per hour, depending on configuration | Contact manufacturer | Visit manufacturer site → |
| InSystem 2nd Generation Recycling Robot | InSystem B.V. | Netherlands | Pick rate: Up to 60 objects per minute (1 object per second) | Detection accuracy: Over 95 percent | 2nd generation units listed at 85,000 euro or 45,000 euro depending on configuration (1st generation at 135,000 euro); flexible leasing also available | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Gravity Sorter | inSystem.io (InSystem B.V.) | Netherlands | Throughput: Up to 6 tons per hour | Detection Speed: Up to 400 fps AI trajectory tracking during free fall | Contact inSystem.io for pilot and commercial pricing | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Machinex SamurAI - AI Waste Sorting Robot | Machinex Industries Inc. | Canada | Arm design: 4-axis articulated robot, suction gripping mechanism, payload 1.25 kg, reach 1.3-1.6 m | AI platform: MIND, Machinex-engineered computer vision and machine learning | Contact Machinex for a quote; official pricing not published | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Molg Robotic Microfactory | Molg | USA | Footprint: Two meter cube workspace, handles devices up to rackmount server size | Process: Precision robotic disassembly, no smashing or shredding | Contact manufacturer | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Oshkosh HARR-E | Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) | Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA | Power: Fully electric | Request Method: Smartphone app or at-home voice assistant | Contact Oshkosh Corporation | Visit manufacturer site → |
| R3 Robotics Automated EV Battery Disassembly System | R3 Robotics (formerly Circu Li-ion S.A.) | Foetz, Luxembourg (engineering and operations facility in Karlsruhe, Germany) | Processing Cost: Up to 32% lower than manual disassembly | Throughput: Up to 75% higher than manual disassembly, without compromising safety | Contact R3 Robotics (Robotics-as-a-Service and Disassembly-as-a-Service models) | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Recycleye Robotics - AI-Powered Waste Sorting Robot | Recycleye (majority owned by CP Group) | UK | Design: 6-axis robotic arm with camera, pneumatics system and compute box; picks with compressed air and a silicon gripper | Throughput: 35-50 items picked per minute at Veolia Southwark; company materials cite up to 33,000 items per 10-hour shift | Contact Recycleye for a quote; official pricing not published | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Automated EV Battery Disassembly Robot | Rose City Robotics | USA (Portland, OR) | Type: Robotic EV Battery Pack Disassembly System | Application: EV battery recycling, module/cell separation | Contact Rose City Robotics (DOE prize-winning pilot technology) | Visit manufacturer site → |
| TOMRA AUTOSORT CYBOT - Robotic Sorting System | TOMRA Sorting GmbH (TOMRA Group) | Germany / Norway | Sensor stack: Near infrared and visible light spectroscopy, DEEP LAISER, and induction sensing for ferrous and non-ferrous metals | Pick rate: More than 70 picks per minute (depending on how many fractions are sorted) | Contact TOMRA; industry estimates put a full installation in the low seven figures USD | Visit manufacturer site → |
| AUTOSORT CYBOT Robotic Sorting System | TOMRA Sorting Recycling (TOMRA Systems ASA) | Norway (Asker) / Germany (manufacturing) | Weight: Approximately 2,000 kg | Not publicly listed; contact TOMRA Sorting Recycling for quote and material test at TOMRA's Test Center | Visit manufacturer site → |
| C&D Sorting Robot | Waste Robotics Inc. | Canada | Payload: up to 20 kg | Reach: 60 inches | Not disclosed | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Metals Sorting Robot | Waste Robotics Inc. | Canada | Picking Rate: up to 40 picks per minute | Operating Area: 2200 x 1650 mm on conveyor | Not disclosed | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Presort Robot | Waste Robotics Inc. | Canada | Payload: up to 20 kg (robot arm); up to 30 lb (BagR gripper) | Reach: 60 inches | Not disclosed | Visit manufacturer site → |
| Recyclables Sorting Robot | Waste Robotics Inc. | Canada | Payload: up to 1 kg | Reach: 36 inches | Not disclosed | Visit manufacturer site → |
| ZenRobotics Heavy Picker 4.0 AI Waste Sorting Robot | ZenRobotics Oy (a Terex Corporation company) | Finland (Helsinki) | Recognition: ZenBrain (also referred to as ZenVision) AI recognition system, over 500 waste categories, pretrained out of the box, individual recognition system per robot in the 4.0 generation | Lifting capacity: Up to 40 kg per item on Heavy Picker 4.0 (Remeo facility's earlier-generation units are rated to 30 kg) | Contact ZenRobotics for a quote; deployed as part of a material recovery facility project, priced per line | Visit manufacturer site → |
Frequently asked questions
What is a recycling & waste sorting robot?
A sorting robot is worth what it does to your bale purity and picker headcount. Accuracy measured on a clean demo stream says little about your contaminated belt on a Monday morning.
Are there recycling & waste sorting robots for sale right now?
Yes. This page lists 30 recycling & waste sorting robots from 26 manufacturers, most sold or ordered direct. A handful of specialist and defense oriented models are quote only or program based rather than an instant checkout, that is noted on the individual listing.
What is the best recycling & waste sorting robot to start with?
There is no single best recycling & waste sorting robot, it depends on the job. The comparison table above lines up 5 real options side by side, from InSystem 2nd Generation Recycling Robot to Machinex SamurAI - AI Waste Sorting Robot, so you can match specifications to your actual task instead of a marketing claim.
How much does a recycling & waste sorting robot cost?
Real prices on this page run from $6,000 a month to lease to $300,000 outright, depending on the model and what it is built to do. See the comparison table above or the full list below for exact figures by manufacturer, not a vague estimate.
Can I rent or lease a recycling & waste sorting robot instead of buying?
Some manufacturers in this category offer direct rental or lease terms. For the rest, J2R can help broker a short term hire or lease arrangement with the manufacturer or an approved reseller.
How long does a recycling robot take to pay back?
Payback comes from higher bale value, fewer manual sorters on hazardous belts and steady quality across shifts. RaaS reduces risk for smaller facilities.
How is a recycling robot usually sold?
RaaS, purchase. Compare buy, lease and RaaS prices in the J2R 100 Robot Price Index.