As India’s appetite for electronic gadgets grows, so does its pile of digital junk. The coun¬try generated over 3 million tons of e-waste in 2023–24, and the figure is only expected to rise. But even as the volume swells, most of the waste still ends up in the informal sector, where recycling is often done under hazard¬ous, unregulated conditions.

Now, a Greater Noida-based company, Green Spark is looking to change that with a little help from artificial intelligence. Green Spark, a government-authorised e-waste recycler, has developed an in-house AI and video analytics platform that can perform automatic counting of items on a conveyor belt, object detection such as laptop, charger, battery, mobile, material estimation (plastic, metal, glass, and more) and approximate weight prediction from image and size.

Think of it as a facial recognition technology but for your old laptop, mobile charger or desktop keyboard. The AI system detects up to 10 types of items, including laptops and chargers, and is being trained to recognise more.

“Recycling isn’t just about volume anymore. It’s about accountability”, says Raveendra Singh, Director, Green Spark. “Our aim is to build a system where every item is tracked and verified, not just for compliance, but to bring real environmental impact”, Raveendra Singh adds.

Helping Brands Meet Green Rules
Green Spark provides two core services at its 5 ton per day recycling facility, namely collection, dismantling, and scientific recycling of end-of-life electronics from companies, institutions, and bulk consumers, and technology-backed EPR Credits, which includes helping manufacturers fulfil their legal recycling obligations under India’s E-Waste Management Rules, using its AI-powered platform for data-backed reporting.

“Brands often struggle with documentation. Our system provides credible, data-led proof, reducing compliance costs and preventing greenwashing”, explains Raveendra Singh.

Noida-based recycler Green Spark uses object detection and data analytics to bring transparency to India’s growing e-waste crisis

Plans to Scale
Located close to Delhi NCR’s industrial corridors, Green Spark is already working with local authorities and logistics partners to expand its collection network. It aims to ramp up processing capacity to 12 tonnes per day over the next year-and-a-half. “As volumes rise and compliance becomes tighter, solutions like ours won’t be optional anymore. They’ll be necessary”, adds Raveendra Singh.

A Model for the Future
By combining recycling infrastructure with artificial intelligence (AI), object detection, and video analytics, Green Spark hopes to create a blueprint for responsible e-waste management. In an industry known for opacity, the company is offering something rare, which is transparency. And with AI doing the heavy lifting, that vision may be closer than we think.