I don’t understand. How does a chip know what is being put in the trash can?
Also a “nice” touch about the property owner getting the citation... Bet the landlord going after his “not-green-enough” tenants is going to be fun.
If done by weight, how does the recycling bin know that you haven’t put a non-recyclable object into it? Wetting down the newspapers (previously mentioned) seems like the easiest solution, though. Maybe a piece of steel plate bolted to the bottom of the recycle bin, painted to match the color? “Steel is recyclable, I’m just conflicted over whether to recycle it today or next time, so I bolted it to the bottom of the bin.”