Key Takeaways
- AI technologies are being utilized to enhance public understanding of recycling, including chatbots and item-identifying cameras.
- Contamination rates in recycling systems remain high; cities hope AI will offer real-time assistance to improve sorting behavior.
- Los Angeles is piloting Professor Green, a chatbot designed to help residents navigate local composting protocols and reduce confusion.
Revolutionizing Waste Education with AI
Artificial intelligence is transforming how waste education is approached, moving away from traditional methods like mailers to more interactive systems. City staff and waste operators are employing AI tools to guide users in determining appropriate disposal methods for their refuse, recyclables, or organic waste.
AI has been historically utilized in materials recovery facilities to identify and sort waste. Recent advancements now include tracking contamination levels during collection, especially through integrated camera systems in garbage trucks. However, efforts to support consumers at the point of disposal are still developing.
“This was really an effort to help people better understand small nuances, and it also gave us new insights about common questions and gaps in knowledge,” noted Pamela Perez, marketing manager for LA Sanitation & Environment, about their newly introduced AI tool, Professor Green. This system aims to clarify local recycling rules and improve sorting limitations.
High contamination rates pose significant challenges for recycling programs across the U.S. From 2017 to 2023, New York City has seen a rise in non-recyclable contaminants from about 34 pounds to nearly 49 pounds per household. An estimated 17% of inbound material was found to be contaminated, according to the Recycling Partnership in 2020. To tackle these issues, AI technology is being developed as a real-time solution for educating residents about proper waste disposal.
Some new systems, like Oscar Sort from Intuitive AI, leverage camera technology to assist users in determining the right bin for their items. For instance, it can indicate whether to dispose of a coffee cup in trash or recycling. Installations of Oscar are beginning at various public venues, including San Francisco’s Ferry Building and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, with significant interest from over 50 universities and 25 airports.
Los Angeles has adopted a different approach with Professor Green, a chatbot that can be accessed through QR codes or a city website. Operating in pilot neighborhoods, it offers guidance in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Korean, Tagalog, Ethiopian, and Armenian), helping users swiftly identify disposal options.
Regular evaluations ensure that the AI systems remain effective, with staff reviewing queries and their outcomes to refine responses. For example, LA Sanitation learned from user inquiries about specific waste items, improving the chatbot’s capacity to recognize regional nuances in waste sorting.
While camera-based systems present challenges in training the AI on diverse waste forms, text-based inquiries provide clarity and can lead to accurate instructions. Experts argue that written prompts may yield better outcomes given the variability in waste items.
Though AI technology holds promise for enhancing recycling education, gaining public trust and engagement remains an obstacle. Many users express a preference for effortless solutions, suggesting they would rather avoid the added effort of manual input. To counter this, researchers are testing systems that educate users about the environmental benefits of correct waste sorting, potentially improving user engagement.
As of March, Professor Green has been used for over 4,000 interactions in Los Angeles, particularly in South LA, which shows significant multilingual community benefit. Los Angeles is exploring extending this AI tool to additional neighborhoods, while officials will rely on traditional waste audits to assess the impactful changes resulting from this technological intervention.
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