City using AI technology to find contaminants in green organics carts

Medicine Hat – The waste collection trucks that empty the green organics carts used to dispose of residential yard waste materials, and food waste materials in select pilot program areas, will soon employ artificial intelligence (AI) technology to detect contamination in the materials collected.

The AI technology, by Prairie Robotics, uses a software program and cameras installed inside the hopper of the truck to monitor the type of materials that are being disposed. If the program detects contamination in the green cart materials, such as a plastic bag, the camera takes a picture, blurring everything but the unacceptable material to maintain public privacy. Using Global Positioning System (GPS) data, the address from which the contents are emptied is assigned to the picture. A postcard is then generated and sent to the residents in the neighbourhood as a way to provide guidance and education about the organics collection program and the materials that are accepted.

Contamination like garbage, plastic, rocks, and cardboard in the green organics carts is a growing concern for the City. Depending on the level of contamination in the truck, there can be significant time and cost associated with manually removing materials. Unexpected contamination can cause safety hazards for staff, and may become windblown, requiring hand picking at the Waste Management Facility, nearby farms, and ditches.

Currently, the City is only using this technology with the organics collection program since the materials collected in this program see a significant amount of contamination.

“Our goal in using this technology is to identify the type of contamination in the organics carts, determine the source of the contamination, and then educate the community so we can successfully produce valuable compost at our Waste Management Facility,” says Shane Briggs, Manager of Waste and Recycling. “Repurposing organics into compost diverts that material from the landfill and increases the lifespan of the facility.”

Residents can download the Recycle Coach app or refer to medicinehat.ca/organicwaste to learn “What Goes Where” and determine how to properly dispose of materials into each waste cart.

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