The Decatur City Council has approved new equipment aimed at improving recycling operations in Decatur, including an artificial intelligence-powered sorting system and a new horizontal baler for the city’s recycling facility.
City leaders say the upgrades will help automate the sorting of recyclable materials such as aluminum, glass and plastic while improving efficiency and reducing delays that have affected operations in recent months.
The AI-powered robotic and optical sorting system is designed to identify recyclable materials much faster than manual sorting alone. Using sensors and machine learning technology, the system can detect materials on the sorting line and separate them more quickly, helping staff recover a larger volume of usable recyclables.
Recycling Director Wanda Tyler said the technology will modernize the city’s recycling center and improve long-term performance.
“This technology will help us recover more recyclable materials and improve the efficiency of our operations,” Tyler said. “The AI system identifies materials much faster than manual sorting alone, which allows our team to process materials more effectively and position our recycling program for the future.”
Officials say the system will reduce the amount of manual labor required on the sorting line while increasing processing capacity at the facility.
The council also approved the purchase of a new horizontal baler, which compresses recyclable materials into compact bundles for storage and shipment to recycling processors. The city’s current baler has been out of service, contributing to delays in handling collected materials.
Without a working baler, recyclable materials cannot be packaged efficiently for transport, creating a bottleneck in operations.
Mayor Kent Lawrence said the investment supports broader city efforts to improve infrastructure and public services.
“These investments strengthen our infrastructure, improve our recycling operations, and support the people who work every day to keep our city running,” Lawrence said. “In Decatur, we are better together.”
City officials expect the new baler to increase reliability and reduce downtime caused by aging equipment.
However, residents may still see temporary interruptions while installation is completed. Officials estimate the new baler will take four to six weeks to arrive, be installed and become fully operational.
Until then, the city is asking residents to hold recyclable materials at home if possible or place them with regular household garbage until full recycling service resumes.
Officials say the upgrades are intended to strengthen Decatur’s recycling system and improve service reliability moving forward.
Jacob Burnett is the Digital Media and Community Coordinator for 256 Today.
