Artificial intelligence (AI) cameras are being used in waste management in various European countries. A UK company called GrapeParrot has developed a special camera technology capable of identifying which of the garbage is recyclable. Reportedly, GrapeParrot has installed AI cameras at around 50 garbage dumps in different European countries.
Mikaela Druckmann, chief entrepreneur of GrapeParrot, told the international news media BBC that, on average, we can identify about 3,000 billion items of garbage a year. It will increase as our number of cameras increases. This information is useful for officials involved in waste management. They can easily understand which garbage is problematic, which is a barrier to recycling, etc.
According to the World Bank, between the 1950s and 2015, more than 8.3 billion tons of garbage were generated in the world. But only in 2020, 224 million tons of garbage has been generated. By 2050, it is expected to increase by 73 percent to reach 3.88 billion dollars.
According to an organization called Material Focus, 1.3 million vapes or electronic cigarettes are thrown into the dustbin every week in the UK alone. This means, about 10 tons of lithium is entering the environment every year. About 200 private car batteries can be made with this amount of lithium.
If technology like AI is used in waste management, it will be possible to reduce the speed of climate change to some extent. Because it will alert everyone from the production process to the consumer about the environment.
