HOLLAND, Mich. — Like a landfill, the list of what not to recycle piles up: skip the Styrofoam, pass on the plastic bags. Pass on the pizza boxes, too, but only if they're too greasy and gross.
The city of Holland will soon let cameras and computers do the heavy lifting of remembering, receiving $38,368 from the state to participate in a recycling pilot program in collaboration with EGLE, Prairie Robotics and The Recycling Partnership.
"A complete education," according to Sustainability Manager Dan Broersma, the program will determine whether a homeowner is throwing trash into city recycling bins and offer "constructive feedback."
"Things you may think are recyclable, it will remind you, ‘No, really, they're not,'" Broersma said.
Beginning next month, city recycling trucks retrofitted with camera technology from Prairie Robotics will be able to flag non-recyclable items as they're weekly dumped into the truck from curbside bins.
When spotted through "machine-learning techniques," a computer system then notifies the city, prompting it to send the homeowner an "Oops Tag" via the mail.
"'This is the problem we saw. This is how you can throw it in the trash or bring it somewhere else,'" said Broersma, describing what the Oops Tag will communicate. "The only people who are going to see are those already involved in seeing these materials on a daily basis.”
The 12-month pilot program will not punish homeowners for throwing trash in the recycling but build upon the city's efforts toward sustainability. In 2021, it distributed 96-gallon Eco Carts to Holland households, leading to a 700% increase in processed recyclables after the first year of its implementation, according to a recent release.
"Making sure we do the best job with the materials we have because they are a resource for our community," Broersma said.
The city of Holland is the third municipality in Michigan to incorporate Prarie Robotics technology into its recycling service.
