Be a sustainable Knight: Sort your waste right!
Niagara College is making sustainability smarter–and more engaging–by bringing artificial intelligence to waste sorting.
Oscar Sort, The AI Recycling Assistant from Intuitive AI, is now on campus to take the guesswork out of recycling. Using real-time scanning, Oscar identifies waste items and guides users to the correct bin, providing instant feedback to improve recycling habits.
“Waste management is a core priority for Niagara College, as outlined in our 2024-29 Sustainability Plan,” said Taryn Wilkinson, Manager, Sustainability. “Oscar Sort is an innovative tool that will help us achieve our waste diversion and food waste capture targets while enhancing sustainability engagement on campus.”
“Less than 18 per cent of people recycle correctly–yet most don’t realize that every choice at the bin has a massive downstream impact,” said Hassan Murad, Co-Founder and CEO of Intuitive AI. “Oscar Sort is a proven, cost-effective, and energy-efficient solution that increases sorting accuracy up to 96 per cent, provides real-time, site-specific guidance, and drives lasting change in recycling habits. Each Oscar deployed in high traffic locations can prevent the equivalent of 10 to 20 cars’ worth of CO2 emissions annually–creating a tangible, measurable net positive for the planet.”
How it works
The AI-powered Oscar Sorts have been retrofitted onto four of the College’s existing bins and feature a large, interactive screen with a built-in camera. Users simply hold up an item, and Oscar provides instant disposal instructions. This AI-powered solution is already making waves in stadiums, airports, universities, and entertainment venues, improving recycling rates and reducing contamination.
Why it matters
When recycling is contaminated, entire loads often end up in landfills. Oscar Sort helps prevent this by educating users in real time, reinforcing good habits, and making waste disposal effortless.
“Proper waste management safeguards human health and ecosystems by preventing air, water, and soil contamination from improperly disposed waste,” added Wilkinson.
Beyond simplifying recycling, Oscars make sustainability fun and interactive – offering positive reinforcement when waste is sorted correctly and a friendly nudge when it’s not.
“I’m excited to see Niagara College adopting AI technology to improve waste diversion on campus,” said Maria Salgado, an Ecosystem Restoration student. “This initiative not only supports sustainability but also helps international students adapt more easily to Canada’s waste system.”
A Campus-Wide Sustainability Effort
Niagara College students are already active participants in the College’s waste reduction efforts. Annual waste audits, conducted by students in the Environmental Management and Assessment program, provide critical data for regulatory reporting. The College’s Sustainability Office also runs regular audits and student-led initiatives to track and reduce campus waste.
“Oscar Sort gives us another tool to collect valuable waste data, enhance recycling and composting engagement, and break down language barriers,” said Wilkinson. “It also allows us to share sustainability tips and important waste management insights with our campus community.”
Privacy First, Sustainability Forward
User privacy is a top priority. Oscar Sort only identifies waste items–it does not capture or store personal data.
Additionally, the large interactive screens provide a platform for Niagara College’s Sustainability team to engage students, staff, and visitors with sustainability initiatives, waste reduction tips, and campus-wide environmental efforts.
Try them yourself!
Oscars will be located:
Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake:
Cafeteria near the entrance
Outside of Yerich/E102d
Welland Campus:
Cafeteria cross from Tim Hortons
Applied Health across from Tim Hortons
The launch of Oscar Sort on campus is among a series of changes the College has made to reduce waste, including:
- Friendlier Containers at some Chartwells outlets
- Switching to compostable containers at food outlets across campus
- Discounts at beverage outlets on campus if you bring your own mug
- Free food at NCSAC and Student Engagement hosted events if you bring your own container
- Teaching Salon achieving Green Circle Salon certification
- Teaching Brewery sending spent grains to a farm as animal feed
- Weekly waste and brand audits, which engage students to learn more about the impacts of proper waste disposal.
With AI-driven waste management now in action, Niagara College is continuing its commitment to a smarter, more sustainable campus–one correctly sorted item at a time.
Learn more about the College's Sustainability initiatives at niagaracollege.ca/sustainability.
