RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The city of Richmond's new solid waste reduction initiative, funded by revenue from the plastic bag tax, is in its early stages, but officials said it will include detailed waste-characterization studies and examine how residents will dispose of materials. The city of Richmo nd's Department of Public Works (DPW), along with the Office of Sustainability, has been coordinating this new initiative for several months, according to Torrence Robinson, the deputy director of operations and maintenance of the department. Laura Thomas, the city’s Director of the Office of Sustainability, who leads the RVAgreen 2050 initiative, previously announced the effort during RVAgreen 2050's third anniversary event on Feb. 11. The initiative would be supported by revenue from the city's plastic bag tax, which is managed by the Office of Sustainability, Robinson said. MORE: Richmond marks third anniversary of climate equity action plan, announces new solid waste reduction initiative Subcommittee to guide early stages Over the next month, with support from the DPW Service Commission, Thomas said the Office of Sustainability plans to form a solid waste subcommittee to help launch and support the new initiative. The subcommittee will begin soon by hearing recommendations from committee members about ideas or initiatives DPW may consider moving forward. "It's internal to the city, meaning it's sustainability in the DPW," Robinson said, explaining that the subcommittee consists of regional partners. "What we'll be doing is bringing those initiatives to our regional partners, [which] will definitely make them aware, and it could be a wider spread initiative, but again, this is really the beginning stages." Pilot program to study waste patterns This first phase will serve as more of a prototype using a smaller sample size, Robinson said. The first phase of said prototype will be funded internally, with no additional cost to taxpayers. Over the next one to two years, city officials may apply the findings more broadly to the larger population. "We expect those type[s] of gains or to get some information like that," he said. "Something else that could be gathered is [that] we need to advertise more about our composting. What we do with composting now -- to get more people involved, to get more participants." ‘A cooler, greener and more resilient Richmond’: City launches project to combat heat, expand green spaces According to Robinson, they will identify a sample of residents across different parts of the city, with some generating large amounts of waste and others generating less, such as lower-income Richmonders and renters. Focus on disparities in participation, equity A key part of the study is examining disparities in participation and access, along with finding ways to make recycling, composing and waste-reducing programs more convenient and equitable for all of the River City. "We know that some parts of the city participate less, and some participate more," he said. "So [with] this initiative, [we] will definitely try to make those parts of the city that, that don't participate as much aware, and see if we can increase participation there." Officials will also examine how residents are disposing of materials in multifamily dwellings and evaluate whether residents are using drop‑off sites. RELATED: Virginia lawmakers revive climate education bill as weather grows more extreme Smart technology at the household level The pilot program may also incorporate smart technology at the household level, Robinson said. This includes tools that analyze waste types placed in trash cans, apps that remind residents when to recycle or set out trash, sensors that detect when cans are full and smart lids that identify contamination. These tools could help assist with waste characterization and help reduce contamination in recycling streams. ...read more read less