Circular Economy 4.0: AI and IoT Integration for Zero-Waste Industrial Ecosystems

Abstract

The intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and sustainable production has preconditioned the emergence of Circular Economy 4.0 (CE 4.0) a new model that helps to realize zero-waste production and resources regeneration. The paper introduces a combined system of AI-IoT to manage the optimization of industrial flows of resources, waste management, and monitoring the environment. The framework uses machine learning algorithms to do predictive waste analytics, IoT sensors used in real-time monitoring, and closed-loop production management using digital twins. The industrial case studies have been experimentally validated and show a 35 percent decrease in waste of materials, 28 percent enhancement in energy efficiency, and 20 percent lifecyscle productivity enhancement. The study underscores the role of CE 4.0 in provision of sustainable, data-driven, and economically sustainable ecosystems which resonate with both the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Industry 5.0 ethics.