AI machine sorts clothes faster than humans to boost textile recycling in China
apnews.com
April 6, 2026
3 min read
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
40/100
Summary
An AI machine in Zhangjiagang, China, sorts used clothes by composition at high speed, outperforming human sorting capabilities. This technology aims to enhance textile recycling efforts in the region.
Key Takeaways
- The Fastsort-Textile machine can sort 100 kilograms of clothes in two to three minutes, significantly faster than the four hours it takes a human worker.
- The machine processes two tons of textiles per hour, reducing the percentage of unrecyclable textiles sent to landfills from 50% to 30%.
- Fastsort-Textile uses an AI scanner to accurately read textile composition in less than one second per item, enhancing sorting accuracy compared to human workers.
- The machine is currently installed at Shanhesheng Environmental Technology Ltd. in Zhangjiagang, China, and is part of efforts to reduce the environmental impact of synthetic textile waste.