In partnership with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy, the City of East Lansing has launched an innovative city-wide recycling program powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The 24-month program began in September 2022, and with its end in sight, a research team from Ohio State University has begun analyzing results for publication.
The program operates through a collaboration with Prairie Robotics and The Recycling Partnership to video monitor the items recycled by residents of East Lansing. On a house-by-house basis, a computer powered by AI is able to detect properly and improperly recycled items and catalog the information. That information is then used to generate personalized educational postcards for residents to inform them of improper recycling practices. Preliminary results show that residents who receive postcards significantly increase participation in recycling while decreasing contamination.
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