How do AI cameras work on recycling trucks in Piedmont Triad

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — The City of Greensboro is planning to install cameras with artificial intelligence on some of its recycling trucks.

Both High Point’s assistant public services director and Greensboro’s waste reduction supervisor said the technology is a great asset. They say the goal isn’t to catch and punish people for not properly separating their waste but to help educate people and reduce contamination.

“We just want people to know the right place to put their right stuff and be able to make sure everybody’s doing everything properly,” High Point Assistant Public Services Director Melinda King said.

The City of High Point put cameras on its garbage and recycling trucks last year.

The technology includes software and tablets in the trucks with digital maps of routes for drivers like on a smartphone.

The cameras take photos and video in cases where garbage and recycling were not collected due to the inability to access the carts or items not permitted found in carts.

“A lot of times, what our contamination issues may be is that somebody has yard waste in their garbage can. Well, we can’t take that,” King said. “So they can leave a tag saying it was contaminated and then take a picture to show what that contamination was or if the recycling cart has a lot of trash in it.”

The issues are then documented by collection staff in the software.

They leave a tag on carts with a note of what led to waste not being picked up and later send photos or videos taken by the software as proof of the issue.

“There are fines. If you get three tags in a row for an issue of whatever it may be then we do have a $250 fine associated with it,” King said.

Similar technology will soon be implemented on three recycling trucks in Greensboro but will use artificial intelligence.

“There’s no driver input, which makes this really awesome because the drivers can focus on their task, which is driving safely and picking up as many cans as they need to. So there is a high-powered GPS that is installed on the truck, and then that geolocation is tied to the contamination pictures,” Greensboro Waste Reduction Supervisor Tori Carle Emerson said.

Here’s what they’re looking for.

“If there is contamination, they scan the frames for contamination like Styrofoam bags, materials … furniture. All different kinds of stuff could potentially be in recycling carts,” Emerson said.

There won’t be fines like in High Point, but after two violations, there will be a penalty.

“We will remove the carts … If residents want to get them back, they actually have to come into our office, and we kind of go over what the issues were. And then we ask them to sign a pledge that they understand why their cart was taken away, what’s recyclable and what’s not recyclable, that they will promise to do their best moving forward,” Emerson said.

The City of High Point is also looking into artificial intelligence similar to what Greensboro will soon have. Greensboro expects to have the hardware and tech on three of its recycling trucks by August.

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