SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): The City of Olympia is starting a high-tech curbside recycling program in an effort to increase recycling rates and lower contamination rates. The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with Prairie Robotics of Saskatchewan, Canada; the Washington State Department of Ecology; and the nonprofit organization The Recycling Partnership of Washington, D.C.

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The recycling vehicles in the city will be outfitted with global positioning systems, cameras, and computers. This will facilitate a thorough inspection of the curbside recycling containers' contents. Each recycling cart's contents will be scanned by the truck's camera equipment as they are dumped. Residents will receive feedback in addition to real-time flagging of the unwanted items.

The City intends to notify locals about the project's start by first mailing them postcards. The list of most common contaminants and reminders of acceptable items will also be included in the mail.

The program is thought to be comparable to the "Feet on the Street" cart tagging initiative from The Recycling Partnership, which offers locals individualized curbside recycling education and feedback in real time. The Department of Ecology is providing funding for the program.