Pilot program uses AI to monitor recycling in Davidson County
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A new program would use artificial intelligence to make recycling better in Nashville. But first the Metro Council has to give it the OK.
According to the Tennessee Environmental Council (TEC), roughly $180,000 worth of recyclable materials end up in landfills each year. Nashville Department of Waste Services leaders tell News 2 this pilot program—that would be funded with state money—could help to mitigate that.
So, how does it work?
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There will be a camera set up on waste management trucks, and when material is dumped, the camera can scan the different materials. It then identifies if there is a plastic bag, bagged materials or even something that could tangle later on, slowing down the separation process at the facility.
Leaders say the goal is to educate people more effectively about what can and can't go into the recycle bin.
"We see a lot of folks bag the recyclable materials, and when they bag it, there's no machine that's breaking those bags open. So, while you've got a resident that's done a really good thing—they want to recycle—but they've bagged all that material, so all their hard work still goes to the landfill," said Jenn Harrman, the administrative services manager for the Nashville Department of Waste Services. "When you do put materials in that bin that can be recycled, they're absolutely getting recycled, and they're staying within about a four-hour radius here of Nashville."
Metro Councilwoman At-Large Burkley Allen is a co-sponsor in favor of the grant that would make the pilot program possible.
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Residents can also be notified through the program when they've placed something that can't be recycled in their bins. If the program gets approval, officials say they hope to install the AI tech on three trucks for a year to measure its efficacy. Metro Council will vote on the bill on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
