Soon to appear above trash cans in the Shapiro Campus Center is “Oscar Sort,” which is a “smart recycling assistant” according to Intuitive Artificial Intelligence, the creator of the new technology. The “zero-touch zero-waste stations” will use camera sensors to determine which form of waste an item is and prompt users to drop their waste into the appropriate bin. Oscars are already in use across national airports, universities and sporting arenas including TD Garden in Boston. On campus, the technology will help reduce the amount of waste incorrectly sorted as trash which often finds its way into landfills or the ocean instead of recycling or compost plants where they can be properly processed. 

The sensors on the device exclusively identify waste using an artificially intelligent model. The devices are perceptive enough to tell when liquids remain in bottles and if a container’s lid requires a different disposal method. Oscars can also be personalized to the waste typical of a location and inform facility managers of trends, schedules and bin fullness. 

While Intuitive AI does not share the price of “Oscar Sort,” each unit is suggested to be between $10,000 and $15,000 to install and $5,500 to $6,500 for yearly data fees. This purchase comes one semester after the installation of soundproof call booths in the Shapiro Campus Center and Goldfarb Library. Those six booths cost a total of $65,039.38, allocated through the University’s Community Enhancement and Emergency Fund. It is unclear if funding for the “Oscar Sort” was awarded from the same source. Nonetheless, the device is a clear representation of President Arthur Levine’s ’70 “global digital knowledge economy” and is a prolific addition of artificial intelligence services on campus. 

The sorting assistant, with the help of students, faculty and staff, has the potential to become a leading sustainability effort akin to Brandeis’ popular “Choose to Reuse” containers. Currently, the Oscar on campus is still in “training mode” with the service promising to go live soon.