Today, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, François-Philippe Champagne, on behalf of Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Navdeep Bains, announced that Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) is investing $1.4 million in Waste Robotics, a company that makes intelligent recycling robots.
As part of the Trudeau government’s focus on cleantech solutions and innovations, the investment will help Quebec-based Waste Robotics develop a high-capacity, multi-arm robot waste sorting system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to better sort commercial waste. According to a release, the new cutting-edge system will help reduce greenhouse gasses by diverting “tens of thousands of tonnes” of organic waste from landfills each year.
“Everyone knows what it’s like to recycle waste in their home. This robot will help cities do it on a massive scale in a really cool, high-tech way, resulting in less garbage in our landfills, said Leah Lawrence, president and CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada.
The SDTC was created by the federal government in 2001 as an arm’s length foundation to support Canadian entrepreneurs and companies “develop and demonstrate new environmental technologies that address climate change, clean air, clean water and clean soil.”In the 2017 budget, the government allotted $2.3 billion towards clean tech companies.
“Clean technology is about more than any one sector – when we support clean technology, we support our entire economy, creating good jobs while helping to protect our environment,” Bains said in a release. “Investments in clean technology will help solve the world’s biggest environmental problems, both at home and around the world.”