PepsiCo is Making Recycling Fun and Games with AI

Why does so little waste get recycled? A mixture of inadequate transparency, puzzling packaging and the lure of convenience often derails our best-laid recycling plans.

Well, PepsiCo is attempting to tackle this problem head on. The global beverage giant has just announced a partnership with Intuitive AI, a tech developer that creates AI-powered recycling bins for civic and commercial spaces.

'Oscar Sort' is the name of Intuitive's new programme. It is a playful AI mechanism which communicates with users through a screen positioned above recycling bins. When users come to the bins, Oscar recognises the kind of litter they have and tells them where to put it.

Oscar also has a knack for spotting organic leftovers in containers and he can urge users to dispose of liquids properly before recycling. In fact, he can providing accurate toss-out tips for nearly any item.

Emma Stradling, PepsiCo's Director of Sustainability for North America, explains the ins and outs of the project:

“PepsiCo is launching Oscar Sort through our acclaimed pep+ Partners for Tomorrow scheme, offering substantial sustainability tools to our allies,” she says.

“Identifying key partners and customer spots for Oscar Sort’s installation propels our aim to ameliorate recycling accuracy and amplify waste diversion, keeping worthy materials in circulation."

Making recycling feel like magic

So how does Oscar work?

The premise is simple: he offers users insights into their waste while making recycling a game everyone wants to play.

Oscar's creator, Intuitive AI, says that their invention could see a 300% jump in recycling rates, a 40% drop in operational costs for the waste sector and a sevenfold increase in the amount that individuals recycle. And the tech is even smarter than you'd expect.

The system tailors recycling protocols to each location, offering detailed data on disposed waste. As recycling policies can differ from town to town, state to state or country to country, Intuitive feel like Oscar should know all about this.

Jim Andrew, PepsiCo’s Chief Sustainability Officer, says:

“With Oscar, users are directed to the correct bin, making sure recycling and reuse efforts are spot on. Plus, its interactive display not only educates but entertains, encouraging proper recycling habits.”

PepsiCo is set on enhancing both the front-end recycling process and back-end analytics, in collaboration with material recovery partners like Replenysh.

Now that's a holistic approach to waste.

Introducing Intuitive AI’s Oscar Range

Intuitive AI’s Oscar lineup is all about ensuring efficient recycling via AI, sporting cameras, displays, and a conversational interface.

Oscar Pixel, equipped with AI-driven cameras, monitors waste disposal and bin fullness, while also detecting contaminants. Oscar Pocket, likened to ‘ChatGPT for Waste’, is a chatbot ready to resolve any waste disposal query.

Teaming up with giants like HSBC, Meta, AT&T, and Toyota, Intuitive AI is now joining forces with PepsiCo to bring Oscar Sort to bustling public areas, promising to accelerate recycling efforts and sustainable messaging on a grand scale.

Hassan Murad, Co-Founder and CEO of Intuitive AI, highlights, “Our partnership with PepsiCo significantly expands Oscar Sort's footprint, aiming for higher recycling rates and consumer education in a lively, engaging manner.”

pep+ Partners for Tomorrow in focus

pep+ Partners for Tomorrow rolls out solutions aiming to bolster its clients' sustainability missions. This initiative gathers PepsiCo’s vast sustainability resources in one platform to address vital solutions sought after by its associates.

This endeavor is perfectly in sync with pep+, PepsiCo’s overarching sustainability blueprint. “Our history of collaboratively pushing sustainability forward with our partners is evolving with the Partners for Tomorrow initiative, striving for impactful, sustainable partnerships,” states Todd Squarek, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer for PepsiCo Beverages North America.

"Leveraging our collective capabilities, we're aiming to amplify our impact, push closer to our pep+ objectives, and impart lasting benefits on our businesses, the planet, and the communities we touch."

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