A new machine can correctly identify different kinds of waste and instruct which bin they should be placed into.

The UK throws away 2.5 billion disposable cups each year, with very few being recycled – consumers are often confused about whether they should go in the general waste, recycling or composting waste bin.

Cambridge Consultants’ pilot technology uses image recognition and machine learning to detect and learn whether coffee cups are plastic, paper, compostable or recyclable and advise on how to dispose of it accordingly.

Consumers using the pilot smart recycling point were 35% more likely to dispose of waste items correctly than those using a traditional bin.

Catherine Joce, Advisor at Cambridge Consultants, said: “Using technology to take these decisions out of the hands of the consumer will lead to significant improvements in recyclate quality.”