A growing number of local authorities are using AI to help sort rubbish as France steps up efforts to increase its recycling rates.
In 2022, France produced 345 million tonnes of waste, according to the Ecological Ministry. This represents 5.1 tonnes of waste per capita.
The country set a target of increasing the recycling rate of non-mineral, non-hazardous waste to 55% by 2020 and 65% by 2025. In 2020, 43% of this waste was recycled, rising to 46% by 2022, which still falls short of the target.
Recycling efforts can be seriously hampered by incorrect sorting of rubbish.
Speeding up recycling process
In Drancy, north-east of Paris, one in three yellow bins contain waste that has not been properly sorted. In such cases, the entire bin must be incinerated instead of recycled, with processing costing €226 per tonne instead of €19. Sorting errors accounted for €450,000 in additional expenses in 2022.
As a result, Grand Paris Sud, which covers 23 communes in the Essonne and Seine-et-Marne south of Paris, has been using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve waste sorting.
A small device with a camera is attached to the back of the waste disposal truck. This runs algorithms that detect and classify waste in real time. It can quickly detect dangerous or toxic items that have been added to the wrong bins.
“Photographs of the waste poured into the collection truck are taken regularly during the collection round, and AI identifies waste that should not be part of the sorting process,” Guillaume Tallon, press officer for Grand Paris Sud, told The Connexion.
Amiens, in northern France, is another of the 5,000 communes using AI to help sort waste.
“We use an application, Lixo, that allows us to assess the sorting quality of waste collected,” Abdelkader Chtitah, who is responsible for household waste in the city’s environmental services department, told The Connexion.
Read more: Fines issued as AI identifies people who do not sort their rubbish correctly
Increasing use of AI cameras
Eric Picard, chief officer for waste collection at Grand Reims, also confirmed the use of AI-integrated cameras on three vehicles.
He estimated that 50% of products found in ordures ménagères bins are incorrectly sorted.
All three spokesmen assured The Connexion they do not use AI technology to target specific residents, for example by picking out their address on a bill or letter to subsequently fine them.
“The AI is not connected to an address database, cannot identify addresses or residents' identities, and no fines are issued,” said Mr Tallon.
“(The AI technology) helps guide our awareness-raising efforts and does not identify those who do not comply with sorting guidelines,” added Mr Chtitah.
“I don't know of any local authority using it for (that) purpose, even though theoretically it could help identify the containers (and therefore their owners) responsible for sorting anomalies.”
Half of people in France have doubts over which bin they should use for certain waste items, according to a 2023 Ifop poll. Just 51% of people felt sufficiently informed about how to correctly sort their waste.
AI can help local authorities target their information campaigns in specific areas.
“AI identifies sections of streets and neighbourhoods, where sorting errors are most frequent, enabling us to better target our awareness-raising operations, which are carried out by staff who meet residents,” said Mr Tallon.
Read more: France battles rise in littering and fly-tipping
Tracking fly-tippers
One area where authorities are using AI to issue fines is fly-tipping, which increased by 85% between 2017 and 2021 according to figures reported at the 106th Congress of Mayors of France.
Several towns have installed cameras that use AI technology to trace fly-tippers from their licence plates.
Many local authorities are still relying on people power, however, to find people dumping waste in the wrong bin.
In Autun (Saône-et-Loire), the mairie has employed ‘investigators’ to rifle through badly sorted rubbish and look for clues, such as a receipt, to identify offenders.
After receiving a reminder in the first instance, fines of up to €135 can be issued to households who do it repeatedly.
A dozen have been distributed in Autun since the beginning of the year, according to TF1.
Local police and officials tasked with tackling environmental damage – sometimes part of so-called ‘green brigades’ – are also allowed to search through waste to find its owner.
According to the government’s public service website, “depositing waste in containers, bins, skips or sites without respecting the correct containers, collection days and times and sorting instructions” can result in a fine of €35, which rises to €75 if not paid within 45 days.
If you do not pay the fixed fine or if you contest it, the matter is referred to the police court judge, who may impose a fine of up to €150.
If you leave a refuse container or bin permanently in the street, you risk a fine of up to €750, while fly-tippers face fines from €135.
Waste management conditions are stipulated by decree by the mayor or local authorities, so rules may differ from town to town.
Each town hall or municipality will publish a sorting guide for residents that should be available on its website. This will include information about the penalties that could be incurred for non-compliance.
Any appeals should be made via the mairie or local authority.
