Project Description

What is our project?

Recycling is the leading method of waste reduction, however a recent study from 2017, by the Science Advances journal, displays only 9% of recycling actually gets recycled. This may be due to contamination issues resulting from incorrect garbage being thrown in recycling, which ultimately is making our planet more polluted. To help reduce pollution in our community we are proposing to construct a garbage disposal bin that will be able to look, identify, and inform where a certain object should be disposed of. We plan to use a camera and recognition software to see and identify the trash. This will be able to assist many people who are unsure of what goes where. Which is why to have trash, recycling, and compost placed together in a convenient fashion as shown above could help urge more people to recycle.

Requirements & Constraints

  • Is able to scan barcode.
  • Must be able to recognize 10 items.
  • Can operate its software on a small scale computer.
  • Quickly computes the result within 4 seconds.
  • The device must be able to operate with little intervention.
  • Length can’t exceed 100 cm and width can’t exceed 10 cm.
  • Device made of sustainable materials.

The disposal bin with three bins within it is a part of our design to hold the camera and device mechanism inside it.


Potential Clientele

Our project could potentially help everyone who is environmentally conscious. It would be very useful to places where a lot of waste is generated every day, such as: schools, food joints, public buildings. Waste Management plants need the garbage to be sorted out correctly otherwise it cant be recycled. It would be helpful around our school because in areas like the library and cafeteria the recycling bins always have trash that does not belong in them. Therefore, our project can help them to dispose of their trash correctly and encourage them to recycle more.