What it is
Everwave is a German cleantech company that combines AI-powered drone surveillance with river cleanup boats to intercept plastic waste before it reaches the ocean. Their drones identify pollution hotspots using computer vision, then their CollectiX boats, solar-assisted waste collection vessels, deploy to the identified areas. The system can process up to 40,000 kg of waste per day per vessel. Everwave operates in European and Asian rivers and has partnerships with municipal waste management systems.
Why we picked this
Most river cleanup relies on fixed infrastructure (booms, barriers) that only works in specific flow conditions. Everwave's mobile approach, identify hotspots by air, deploy collection boats on demand, adapts to changing conditions and can respond to pollution events in real-time. Their AI classification system also identifies waste types, providing data that helps cities target specific pollution sources upstream. It is cleanup with intelligence.
Key takeaways
- Everwave's drone system uses machine learning to classify waste types from aerial imagery, identifying pollution sources rather than just collecting symptoms.
- The CollectiX boats are designed for rivers of varying width and depth, making them deployable across diverse waterway types from narrow urban channels to wide delta systems.
- Their AI has classified over 500,000 individual pieces of debris, building one of the largest datasets on riverine waste composition in Europe.