Effective recycling and reuse of waste materials within our communities is almost non-existent. With many individuals being unaware of the correct disposal practices, incorrect usage of colored bins and councils allowing it to happen by simply redirecting recycling bins to hard rubbish tips. In the depths of both a climate crisis and a growing material shortage, it is more important now then ever to ensure our waste ends up in the location that is best for it.
Although there is currently information informing the public of the waste disposal practices for their local area, it is highly fragmented, with information of varying quality buried deep within complex and dated council websites. If people have to look too hard they will give up, especially when the alternate option is throwing the item in to the red bin half a meter away.
Our app utilises the device’s camera to take a picture of an item of waste. The image is sent to Google Vision which employs machine learning to detect items and materials in the image. These are then compared to an ever growing list of waste and resource centers to match up the item with centers that accept those materials.
The waste doesn’t have to end up at resource centers though, with the ability for community members to request certain types of materials that can be used for both community and DIY projects. This ensures that the waste can be used within the community were possible, which is beneficial for both the planet and the members of the community.