New AI technology to help students sort trash in seconds has arrived at the University of Guelph.
Developed by Canadian tech company, Intuitive AI, Oscar Sort has now become a permanent fixture at the University Centre.
Beginning this month, students now have help when it comes to making waste sorting easier and more efficient.
“What is great about this technology is that the university gets to increase its waste diversion in a fun way,” said Mike Posteraro, senior manager of environmental operations and sustainability (physical resources) at the U of G.
“Users, right at the waste station, can interact with the technology and make decisions on where things have to go.”
All students have to do is show their items to Oscar, and it will instantly guide them to the correct bin, to make recycling easier, effortless and engaging.
Oscar Sort helps to recycle items properly, at the point of disposal, tackling the waste problem at the very source. The centralized zero-touch zero-waste station, ‘gamifies' recycling and boosts diversion.
It also adapts to evolving municipal guidelines to reflect changes in local recycling regulations and packaging.
“What made us dive into this garbage world, was knowing that 98 per cent of what we dump in this world and throw away wasn’t being recycled. That’s something that stood out to us when we were starting the company,” said Intuitive AI CEO and co-founder Hassan Murad.
“When you look at a university or a facility, you might think it has receptacles. And you would think people know where everything is supposed to go.”
But in reality, people often don't.
Murad said young people are the future drivers of sustainable change and that education is key to making recycling, composting and reusing second nature.
“Some people ask, do I really need something to tell me how to sort? And really, they don’t realize what needs recycling,” Murad said.
“At a university, where students go to study, if that’s where we can get into everybody’s genes on how important that three second decision is, that’s pivotal.”
By tackling waste diversion at the source, Oscar has already improved recycling rates and reduced operational costs at over 30 institutions including universities across North America.
Consuming about the same amount of energy as a laptop, Oscar Sort is meant to help universities improve recycling and composting while also helping to provide valuable waste insights that support sustainability initiatives in reducing waste at the source.
According to the U of G, this new technology represents a significant step forward in the university’s commitment to waste reduction and sustainability.
A big benefit, Posteraro said, is that Oscar Sort knows exactly where waste goes even with changing recycling rules.
“I think everybody has been faced with having waste, going to the waste station and thinking where do I put things? This technology really dials everyone in and simplifies that decision making, at the end user level,” Posteraro said.
“It's just a really fun and interactive way to simplify recycling and composting.”
