Brussels expands AI trial to improve waste collection
Brussels has taken a further step towards improving waste collection efficiency with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The official launch of the project took place on Tuesday morning at the training centres of Net Brussel, the Regional Agency for Cleanliness.
Sixteen collection vehicles equipped with an AI system will operate across the City of Brussels, Anderlecht and Ixelles as part of a new trial phase. They are fitted with cameras that record waste found on the streets.
The system is designed to identify the types of litter most commonly found in Brussels, including cigarette butts, paper and packaging. The AI then links the waste data to specific locations and times, allowing cleaning teams to be deployed more efficiently.
Net Brussel stressed that the technology is not intended to monitor employees or replace the experience of workers in the field. "It’s about deploying staff in the right place at the right time," said Geoffroy Kensier, alderman for Cleanliness in Ixelles.
The system was developed by CortexIA, a Swiss company that has previously worked with cities including Hamburg, Zurich and Nice. The technology has also already been tested in Ghent and Charleroi.
CortexIA developed the Clean City Index (CCI), which measures urban cleanliness on a scale from 0 to 5. The index is displayed on a map using colour codes, with blue indicating very clean streets and red highlighting areas considered "insufficiently clean".
If the trial phase proves successful, Brussels plans to expand the technology across the entire region by 2027.
© BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT
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