SPSA approves contract for AI recyclables and organics sorting

Virginia’s Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA) board of directors has approved a 20-year contract with Commonwealth Sortation LLC, an affiliate of Amp Robotics Corp., Denver, Colorado, that invests $200 million in waste management services and technology.

The technology will serve SPSA’s eight member communities: the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach, as well as Isle of Wight County and Southampton County.

Under the terms of the contract, half of the waste SPSA brings to the Amp facility must be diverted from the landfill through recycling and organics processing. Of the materials diverted, 20 percent will be recyclables and 30 percent will be organics, the SPSA says.

The approved alternative waste disposal (AWD) process will use cameras, robotics and artificial intelligence to sort recyclables and organic materials directly from the waste stream. This technology is anticipated to more than double the region’s recycling rate, increasing it from approximately seven percent to a guaranteed 20 percent.

Since 2024, Amp has been using its AWD technology at a pilot program in Portsmouth, Virginia, processing 30,000-40,000 tons of waste annually and diverting roughly half from the landfill as recyclables or organics. The modular system will scale up within existing infrastructure as the program reaches full operation over the next five years, according to the SPSA.

Amp will operate and maintain the Hampton Roads facilities and provide half the necessary funding. SPSA will oversee those operations, including recycling and organics recovery, and fund its portion with the waste-processing fees it collects from member communities.

“We’re here for the communities we serve, and we’re dedicated to providing high-quality and transparent waste management services,” SPSA Executive Director Dennis Bagley says. “This agreement reflects almost two years of deliberate work with our board and city councils so we can deliver real improvements to residents now and for years to come.”

The partnership also is expected to increase the region’s recycling and resource recovery rates and extend the life of the Suffolk Regional Landfill until the end of the century. Without the AWD, it is estimated that the landfill would reach capacity by 2060.

In 2023, the SPSA conducted a waste characterization study that analyzed residential trash headed to the landfill. The study found that more than a quarter of the trash analyzed was recyclable plastics, metals or paper, even in communities with curbside recycling programs.

“With this approach, we can double the life of the landfill and increase the region’s sustainability while supporting its growth,” SPSA Chairman Thomas Leahy says. “All 1.2 million people who live in our member communities will become recyclers, and the organic waste they put in their bins will be repurposed into something valuable, with no extra effort needed.”