RILA, Smarter Sorting to Bring Machine Learning to Retail Compliance

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) announced a partnership with Austin-based startup Smarter Sorting that will connect retailers with artificial intelligence-based environmental compliance technology.

Smarter Sorting's machine learning platform helps companies make data-driven, automated decisions regarding all unsold, damaged or returned items. The Smarter Sorting platform provides real-time transparency for compliance programs and helps limit waste costs business-wide. As part of the partnership, RILA and Smarter Sorting will co-host a summit in the coming year with retailers across the country to collaborate on customized cutting-edge compliance solutions.

“Retailers are committed to making their businesses more sustainable; as such, many are looking to innovative technology that can help make environmental compliance operations more effective and that help them achieve larger company sustainability goals," said Tiffin Shewmake, RILA vice president and executive director of RILA's Retail Compliance Center, in a statement. "We're enthusiastic about this partnership with Smarter Sorting, which helps retailers do just that, and we look forward to moving the industry forward in this area together."

"As a startup committed to advancing retail sustainability, Smarter Sorting is thrilled to partner with RILA to launch the first-ever Innovation in Action Retail Summit," said Chris Ripley, Smarter Sorting CEO, in a statement. "Our goal is to create a space where retailers can explore new technologies like machine learning to tackle their most vexing compliance problems while advancing their zero waste goals."

The announcement comes as RILA prepares to hold an annual meeting of retail environmental compliance and sustainability practitioners hosted by the University of Texas at Austin this week, which will include representatives from Smarter Sorting, as well as Austin Mayor Steve Adler, in a celebration of the city's growing tech scene.