Tacoma demands residents get sorted, deploys AI recycling cameras that mail violation photos

Tacoma, Washington has deployed AI-powered cameras on recycling trucks to identify incorrectly placed items in residents’ bins, with violators receiving postcards showing images of their trash along with proper recycling guidelines. The two-year program, funded by a $1.8 million EPA grant, aims to improve recycling efficiency by reducing contamination that forces workers to spend time sorting materials and can lead to entire loads being sent to landfills.

How it works: Prairie Robotics, a Canada-based company, developed the system that scans recycling bins as trucks make their rounds through neighborhoods.

• Cameras mounted on collection vehicles automatically identify items that don’t belong in recycling bins, such as food waste or non-recyclable plastics
• When contamination is detected, residents receive educational postcards featuring images of their specific recycling violations
• The postcards include information about what materials can and cannot be recycled in Tacoma’s program

The bigger picture: Improper recycling significantly undermines waste management systems by creating additional sorting work for facilities and potentially contaminating entire batches of recyclable materials.

• Contaminated loads often end up in landfills rather than being processed for reuse, defeating the purpose of recycling programs
• The AI system aims to educate residents at the point of violation rather than after materials reach processing facilities

Track record: Prairie Robotics has successfully implemented similar programs in multiple cities across North America.

• The system is already operational in Regina, Saskatchewan; Fort St. John, British Columbia; and Southeastern Connecticut
• The technology represents a growing trend of using AI to optimize municipal services and environmental programs

Why this matters: The program addresses a critical bottleneck in recycling operations while providing residents with immediate, visual feedback about proper waste sorting practices that could improve long-term recycling habits.