New AI Technology Aims to Improve Recycling in Central Okanagan
In the Central Okanagan region, a new technology using artificial intelligence (AI) is prompting homeowners to rethink what they toss in their garbage and recycling bins.
Chad Evans, a recycling truck driver, reports that many hazardous materials are mistakenly placed in the bins. “Every day, I see about one in ten bins containing things they shouldn’t,” he said.
To tackle this issue, the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) is implementing a system called ‘Prairie Robotics.’ This system employs cameras mounted on recycling trucks to take multiple photos of the materials being loaded.
Brody Hawkins, district manager for Environmental 360 Solutions (E360s), explains, “As the bin is emptied into the truck, the cameras capture hundreds or thousands of images, which are then sent back to our system.” The AI within the system analyzes the images to identify contaminated materials.
If contamination is detected, the system uses GPS coordinates from the bins to trace the issue back to the homeowners. The RDCO then sends a warning postcard to the address in question. “The postcard shows an image of what the truck detected, helping the homeowner understand what they put in that doesn’t belong,” said Cynthia Coates, supervisor of solid waste services for RDCO. Further violations could lead to fines.
Some of the hazardous items being found too often include corrosive, flammable, or toxic waste, as well as batteries and battery-operated devices like e-cigarettes, power tools, and smoke alarms.
Coates has also noticed an alarming trend of propane tanks appearing in the bins. “We’ve seen an increase in notifications about fires at our landfill, trucks, and recycling facilities,” she noted. In July, a fire broke out in a recycling truck in Kelowna due to a metal fuel filter improperly discarded in a bin.
Currently, four out of the seven E360s recycling trucks are equipped with the new AI system, with plans to install it in the remaining trucks soon. This initiative aims not only to reduce hazardous materials in recycling but also to boost community awareness about proper waste disposal.
