MOVE OVER WALL-E: SAN FRANCISCO PARTNERS WITH INTUITIVE AI TO LAUNCH OSCAR SORT AT THE FERRY BUILDING
San Francisco has partnered with Intuitive AI to deploy Zero Waste AI Recycling Assistant Oscar Sort at the Ferry Building—helping businesses and public spaces support the City’s waste prevention goals.
San Francisco, CA – Today, San Francisco Environment Department Director Tyrone Jue joined Intuitive AI Co-Founder Hassan Murad, and San Francisco Ferry Terminal property operators Hudson Properties to unveil Oscar Sort Recycling Assistants at the iconic Ferry Building. Powered by AI on the edge, Oscar Sort is anything but grouchy. The units provide an engaging and educational way to improve sorting and ensure proper disposal in the City’s three-bin system. The Ferry Building’s three installations join other iconic San Francisco locations like the Exploratorium, as well as high-traffic office buildings, airports, and stadiums across the United States.
“San Francisco is committed to building a cleaner and more sustainable future for our next generation. As the capital of AI, we have the opportunity to lead on innovative climate solutions—big and small,” said San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie. “This partnership with Intuitive AI will help our residents, visitors, and businesses rethink waste, save money, and protect the environment. We are so excited that Oscar Sort prioritized our historic Ferry Terminal for its technology.”
Knowing which bin to put your item in can be daunting—and anyone who has witnessed a perplexed visitor standing in front of a three-bin station can attest. Oscar Sort simplifies the process and makes waste disposal fun. Using artificial intelligence and behavioral science, Oscar Sort guides users to the right bin in real time, helping reduce contamination in waste streams while teaching users what goes where. Each week, Oscar will help thousands of tourists and visitors properly sort discarded materials while also providing a novel refresher on proper sorting for City residents.
“San Francisco has set ambitious and essential goals to reduce municipal solid waste and cut material going to landfill,” said Hassan Murad, Co-Founder and CEO of Intuitive AI. “Right now, many businesses are looking to accelerate their zero-waste efforts—and this is exactly where technologies like Oscar can make a difference. We’re excited about this partnership and proud to support this effort with real-time data that’s more actionable than what’s currently available.”
Oscar Sort welcomes approaching users, identifies the materials being discarded, and highlights the correct bin for item placement. Users have a chance to play trivia and win exciting prizes when they properly discard their waste. When users drop materials in the wrong bin, Oscar lets them know how to correct the mistake—ensuring waste is more accurately sorted. This is the key moment at the point of disposal that can educate users on future refuse decisions and boost climate literacy. To match the mood and vibe at different locations, Oscar Sort can be customized to be more empathetic—or a little bit grouchy—when users make mistakes. Oscar Sort continuously learns in real time, tracking disposal behavior and the types of waste generated at each station. After establishing a baseline, it adapts to user patterns to improve sorting accuracy and reduce landfill waste, supporting the City’s journey toward its Zero Waste goals.
“San Francisco residents are passionate about waste. We pioneered the three-bin system—now a global standard—and we have very robust zero waste goals,” said Tyrone Jue, San Francisco Environment Department Director. “But you can’t improve what you can’t measure, and there’s still so much opportunity to increase climate literacy for both visitors and residents. Oscar Sort technology helps users become more climate-conscious by better understanding their disposal habits. The Ferry Building, as a waste diversion leader, can further improve the accuracy of what visitors place in recycling and compost bins. It’s win-win-win.”
“The Oscar Sort service is a great step forward,” said Port of San Francisco Executive Director Elaine Forbes. “Many of the hundreds of thousands of people who pass through the Ferry Building may not be familiar with San Francisco’s specific recycling and composting guidelines. Intuitive AI’s technology solves that problem, which helps save money on processing and sorting, and accelerates the City’s movement toward Zero Waste.”
Other high-traffic properties can easily retrofit their bins with Oscar Sort. Become a participating entity and help the City reach its Zero Waste goals. Interested in bringing Oscar to your building? Sign up here: Intuitive AI Interest Form.
For a demonstration of Oscar Sort, please visit:
###