For example, an AI model can automatically detect and document contamination in hoppers, which helps to monitor and educate residents about recycling and organic waste programs. This is vital because recycling contamination is a pernicious problem and a core issue for all municipal recycling programs or private haulers. The national average for contamination is estimated to be around 17% but, in reality, that number can be a lot higher in certain regions and communities. This affects not only the amount of material that gets recycled, but the bottom line of any operation, since it incorrectly lowers the costs associated with collecting and disposing of those recyclables. Technology is an important tool in understanding, monitoring, and addressing contamination across all stages of education, collection, and processing. Technology Helps City Planners Solve Challenges and Educate Citizens • Optimize routes to reduce mileage, fuel consumption, and emissions. • Digitally track waste and recycling while engaging and educating customers. • Proactively detect and address maintenance issues to safely and efficiently keep city streets cleaner.
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The right tech stack is not enough to help you deliver and build the future. Once you get the right technology, that’s when the work of training your team to use it and incorporate it into your operations and processes begins. This critical work of technology implementation is the ‘X-factor’ that determines whether your operation is equipped to succeed in this new world that we’re entering — a world of warmer temperatures and more natural disasters, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence.”
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