Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Companies for Achieving Zero Waste – A Systematic Literature Review

New conflicts, population growth, and global warming are only some of the reasons that have led to a slowdown in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) companies had set for 2030. In this context, resource efficiency can help manufacturing companies improve their environmental sustainability performance towards Zero Waste. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been applied to improve resource efficiency; however, its wide scope and lack of a universal definition have made it challenging to identify this technology’s potential clearly. This paper presents an overview of AI use in manufacturing to enhance resource efficiency. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted using the PRISMA guidelines. The articles have been assessed against the resource efficiency enhancement and strategic impact within the company and classified under AI task and AI algorithm used. The twenty-five articles explicitly aimed at improving resource efficiency were inserted in a classification framework. The research revealed the prominence of energy efficiency objectives, machine learning algorithms, and a limited number of explored manufacturing applications and fields. However, it uncovered significant gaps that should be assessed in the future.