JD offered AI that helps to distinguish different types of discarded items
JD.com offers AI that helps with trash sorting. Source: shutterstock.com
Consumers all around the world increasingly care about their carbon footprint and are looking for ways to reduce the impact their daily activities have on their environment. Most recently, China rolled out a slate of new recycling requirements to enable consumers and businesses to more accurately sort their trash and recycle properly. The new regulations require the sorting of trash into four categories – dry waste, wet waste (kitchen waste), recyclables and hazardous waste.
JD offered AI that helps to distinguish different types of discarded items, especially specific waste like dried fruits or wet napkins. Moreover, there’s an open API enabling partners to develop trash sorting solutions outside of the JD retail ecosystem.
Consumers have a few options for how to get consultation about trash sorting. First, they can take a photo of the type of waste they have and will be instructed on how to dispose of it properly. This offering is based on JD’s signature SnapShop 24/7 shopping consultant, where users take photos of items they want to buy and then receive recommendations of where to buy the same product or a related product via JD’s e-commerce platform. Importantly, the SnapShop-inspired waste sorting function will be made available as an API via JD’s open AI platform, NeuHub, so that companies can implement the technology in their own businesses.
Alternatively, consumers can simply speak to their JD smart speaker to activate a function in which they describe the waste they wish to discard, and the speaker analyzes the request and provides the appropriate recommendation.
