Based on technological developments and digitalization, the Smart Waste Factory concept aims to improve the efficiency of waste treatment, increase recycling and recovery rates from mixed waste streams, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the waste treatment system. An integrated digital platform will enable overall plant monitoring, control and optimization.

Andritz is currently conducting the first series of trials for ReWaste F at the Andritz Recycling Technology Center (ART Center) in St. Michael, Austria. These trials involve Andritz's versatile shredder technology, IoT sensors for real-time monitoring and classification of waste streams, and automated sorting systems using machine learning and artificial intelligence for precise recycling. In cooperation with universities – Montanuniversität Leoben and FH Joanneum – and industrial companies, the technologies will be comprehensively evaluated and optimized.

ReWaste F - Recycling and Recovery of Waste for Future is a publicly funded R&D COMET – Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies project in Austria, which involves partners from various sectors along the value chain – waste disposal, technology and mechanical engineering, secondary raw material utilization, recycling, digitalization and networking, and science. It consists of a strategic project and three technical areas with individual projects focusing on the characterization of waste materials, their recyclability and testing of mixed waste streams. ReWaste F builds on the successes of the previous COMET project ReWaste 4.0 and will be completed in 2025.