The exponential development of generative artificial intelligence is generating massive production of electrical and electronic waste (WEEE) specific to data centers. The young start-up Wastetide (waste wave) published a study carried out on 30 data centers in five different countries (USA, China, Japan, France, Germany and UK) to quantify the flows of this e-waste, their environmental impact and the economic opportunity represented by their recovery.
Wastetide, born in 2023 and which has just raised 1 million euros, has developed an application which allows waste to be identified from a simple photo. Its algorithm calculates the value (the sale price) and measures the level of CO2 avoided if the material is correctly recycled.