9% of plastic is being recycled
Fortunately, a solution is being developed using robots and computer vision. The technology is either here or pretty close,, so before long if there are the right incentives, people will make robots very good at sorting trash and recycling. In fact, this permits single stream recycling, which many cities already do because they find that consumers suck at sorting their recycling, and so it is necessary to sort it again after they put it in the bin.
Robotic trash sorting could take place in several areas. The first could be in the home, if we wanted to still have sorted recycling bins. And, of course, it can be done at trash processing centers, where there is the best economy of scale.Another interesting place to scan and sort it is right in the recycling truck. The reason for this is that each home could be given a score on the quality of their recyclables.
With proper sorting, it might also be able to avoid having people wash certain types of things, notably glass jars. Washing at home is energy-wasteful. You can stick all the glass jars in a hot soapy bath and get them clean enough at the recycling center. A few products may need hand washing, but our robots will be able to very finely sort the material coming through. They might even get good at pulling out food waste for compost, and identifying the odd valuables.
Could robots and AI solve our trash problem?🇺🇸💜💋☺️🗑️
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