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County plans curb 'lid checks' and AI postcards in Redmond recycling pilot
Summary
Deschutes County described an eight-week, state-funded contamination-reduction pilot that will inspect curbside carts in selected neighborhoods, photo-document contamination with an AI app and mail educational postcards to roughly 3,000 Redmond households beginning in June.
Deschutes County Solid Waste officials presented a state-funded pilot program to Redmond’s City Council designed to reduce contamination in the recycling stream by combining neighbor-level cart inspections with automated photo-driven outreach.
Tim Brownell of Deschutes County said the pilot is part of the state Recycling Modernization Act and the Opportunity to Recycle statute. The pilot will run first in Bend (starting in April) and then in Redmond (starting in June) and will target a selection of neighborhoods for curbside “lid checks.” Trained crews will lift the cart lid, document nonrecyclable items, leave an informational cart tag, and use an AI-enabled app to send a postcard to the household showing the contamination.
"This is not a punitive program," Brownell said, calling it an educational three-step approach: universal information mailings, targeted cart checks, and additional truck- or driver-based tagging if needed. The pilot is funded by the state, and Brownell said the county wants to assess public acceptance and effectiveness before wider rollout.
Brownell reported the county’s recycling contamination rate at about 12–13%, below the state’s current target of 15% but short of future targets of 12.5% (by 2028) and 10% (by 2030). Councilors asked about common contaminants; county staff said bagged material and Styrofoam were frequent problems and that an informational video and social media outreach will accompany the pilot.
County staff said the pilot will use postcard mailers, a press release, social-media posts, and potentially newsletter items to inform residents; they also said the project team conducted an open house for about 50 area businesses to review plans. Residents who decline curb inspections will be marked and excluded from further checks.
Councilors did not take action on the pilot; county staff said they will proceed with outreach and a limited pilot to evaluate effectiveness.
