2B0

Based in California, To Be Zero (2B0) is developing an AI-based robot called the 2B0 Recycling Robot that can sort and identify recyclables, shred them into confetti, and compress them for later pick up by municipalities. The company’s robots can be used by businesses as well as households. 

Though the company was formally established in 2019, it received the patent for its 2B0 recycling unit in 2017. The robot also comes with an app that gives consumers real-time access to what is being recycled and the carbon footprint they are saving through the process. The company claims that by using its units, material waste volume can be reduced by as much as 93% and weekly waste pickup can be reduced to monthly pickups, saving municipalities money. The company expects to begin testing the market in 2021 and expand sales and operations by 2022. 

The company raised USD 250,000 in seed funding in 2020, expecting to use the funds for its mobile app development and to design and test its robot prototype.