I don’t know if it’s AI, but where I live in the Bay Area, Waste Management spies on the contents of our recycling bins with cameras when the truck picks them up.
I have gotten warning emails with evidence of some transgression or another about 4 times since November 2024. All it says is “we found that at least one of your carts was filled incorrectly.”
Cool!
The best thing is the evidence they provide. It’s a blurry and pixelated 320 x 320 image that shows what could literally be anything.
I was thinking about buying an incinerator, I recycle my trash but recently found that everything gets mixed back together in the end by the privatized trash company and no recycling happens.
I have a bottle of soap that has this actual notice on the back:
"This bottle, after pump is removed and discarded in garbage, may be collected in your local community, but actual recycling rates in the USA are currently very low."
Other countries have just been doing this by hand. For example, in Japan, they will open up bags of trash from the dumpster, find your address from a discarded envelope, sort out what you should have recycled, then bag it and leave it at your door, with a stern warning and instructions on how to properly sort your trash next time.
"For example, in Japan, they will open up bags of trash from the dumpster, find your address from a discarded envelope..."
Not near as prevalent as implied.
"Currently, more than half of 62 core Japanese cities are conducting garbage bag opening inspections but Fukushima's local government is the first one to disclose the names of the violators."
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/japan-to-name-and-shame-thos... Dated: Dec 20, 2024
The waste collectors in Christchurch, New Zealand do occasional spot checks of home recycling bins and leave a little note (checklist, actually) letting you know what shouldn't have been put in the bin. They take it away regardless in the first instance; not sure what happens in the second.
Wouldn't it be better to use AI to sort out the recyclables instead of scolding people?
they had better be able to prove they actually recycle if they are engaging in conversation in this manner