The City of Lethbridge is testing a new AI system for detecting waste contaminants. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko / Nadia Kearl

City of Lethbridge using AI to reduce waste contamination

Jul 15, 2024 | 1:49 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A new pilot project in Lethbridge aims to ensure more of your waste goes to the correct place.

The City of Lethbridge, in partnership with Prairie Robotics, has equipped one recycling collection truck and one organics collection truck with artificial intelligence (AI) cameras.

Collections Manager James Nicholls says about 13 per cent of items that get put into peoples’ blue recycling bins, for example, should not be in there. The goal of this program is to detect any contaminants such as batteries, bagged garbage, tires and yard waste and educate residents.

He explains that one camera will take a photo of your bin’s serial number to ensure the system knows which household the bin belongs to.

“Once the material has been deposited into the hopper, that camera at the top is looking directly down, capturing the materials that are being deposited into the hopper,” says Nicholls.

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He continues, “At the end of the day, that imagery is then sent into the system. AI detection technology is utilized to review that footage to determine if any of those materials… is in fact in that cart.”

If contaminant materials are found in your bin, you will receive a postcard that shows the items that were not supposed to be in there and a reminder about where items should go.

“It’s just meant to be a general reminder. There are no penalties or any sort of surcharges associated with these,” says Nicholls.

An example of the waste collection audit card residents could receive under the pilot program. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

An example of the waste collection audit card residents could receive under the pilot program. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

Prior to this pilot project, city staff would manually open your waste bins and see if it contained any contaminant materials. According to Nicholls, this was a much more time-consuming process that subjected workers to potential hazards.

He states that the AI method should prove to be safer and more cost-effective for the city.

It also promises to be better in regards to privacy.

“[The AI system] will blur out license plates and people automatically, so if a person happens to be caught in a particular shot or a license plate is captured in a shot, that imagery is actually blurred out before our staff even see that,” says Nicholls. “It’s just an added layer of privacy in terms of capturing that data.”

The pilot program will run until spring 2025. The findings of the program will help to inform future decisions about the long-term use of technology in the city’s collection trucks.

You can use the City of Lethbridge Waste Wizard to learn more about which items go in which bins and download the Lethbridge Loop app to stay updated on collection schedules.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now

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