AI to rescue our rubbish

In the last few issues of The Majellan there have been articles on AI, outlining the benefits and the pitfalls, including the sophisticated scams people need to be aware of.

An article in the Washington Post last month, however, was another big tick for AI. It detailed the efforts of two companies in making recycling more workable. Bollegraaf, the world’s largest builder of recycling plants, and the AI start-up company, Greyparrot, are introducing artificial intelligence systems to sort out recycling. 

Established in 2019, Greyparrot is already operating across the UK, Europe and America.

The companies plan to retrofit thousands of recycling facilities around the world with computers that can analyse and identify every item that passes through a waste plant.

Greyparrot’s device comprises a set of visual and infrared cameras connected to a computer, which monitors rubbish as it passes by on a conveyor belt and labels it under 70 categories, from loose bottle caps (not recyclable) to books (sometimes recyclable) and aluminium cans (recyclable).

It could well be a game breaker for responsible citizens who want to do the right thing by our planet. Perhaps one day it might even spell the end of bins of every describable colour that councils around Australia provide for households to separate their food wastes, recyclables … and other messy bits and pieces.

Allelulia, I say.

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