• AI is being used to sort wood waste.
• Wood scrap is turned into clean energy for businesses and households to use.
• The purpose is to increase recycling efforts and help achieve zero-waste goals.

Woodchuck ("company" or "firm"), a Grand Rapids-based startup, has raised $3.75 million in seed funding to advance its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered wood recycling.

The startup is focused on collecting scrap wood from construction sites and other areas. The wood is then used to produce biomass, a type of fuel used in renewable energy production. The objective of this approach is to ensure that the wood does not end up in a landfill; instead, it is used to produce clean energy for powering other businesses and homes.

The company said the money raised will be used to expand its operations, develop its artificial intelligence (AI) platform, and optimise its process of sorting and converting wood waste.

READ MORE: £16m Recycling Facility Set to Modernise UK's Waste Sector

Todd Thomas, founder and CEO of Woodchuck, said: "With this funding, we are accelerating our mission to help manufacturers and construction companies reduce waste, reduce costs, and contribute to the clean energy grid."

Mason Fink led the funding round, which also saw participation from other investors, including Beckett Industries, Alloy Partners, and NorthStar Clean Energy.

Woodchuck’s facility in Grand Rapids, a city in Michigan, employs an all-electric processing system with AI technology to convert around 100 tonnes of wood waste into approximately 83 million BTUs of clean energy.

“Every year, millions of tons of construction waste—much of it wood—are sent to landfills,” Thomas said. “Our AI technology allows us to extract value from this waste, turning it into clean energy and enabling our clients to achieve their sustainability goals.”

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Usable waste is identified and sorted with the help of AI cameras installed on dumpsters placed at construction sites. The sorted wood is processed into biomass, which is then sent to CMS Energy, a partner company, to be converted into renewable energy.

Wood Recycling: The Role Played by the AI System

When it comes to improving the quality of biomass, AI has been leveraged to remove contaminants, such as nails and screws, from the wood, which reduce the quality of the fuel produced.

Not only does the AI work at the sorting stage, but it also plays an important role during the processing stage to produce clean biomass.

ALSO READ: From Waste to Resource: Dow and Google Use AI to Recycle the Unrecyclable

Finally, the startup is also improving its reporting tools for clients. At present, they receive weekly or monthly recycling reports. A few years from now, Woodchuck plans to launch a digital portal for its customers, which will help them schedule and view reports on their own, eventually helping them achieve zero-waste goals.

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Source: mlive