According to Meticulous Research, the smart waste management market is expected to be worth $3.97 billion by 2025, and unsurprisingly new companies are popping up in this space.
One of them, Bin-e, comes from Poland and its product is a smart trashcan featuring sensors, image recognition technology and artificial intelligence. As a result, this trashcan can recognize and categorize recycling litter into one of its smaller bins faster than a human being. The litter is then compressed, so it occupies less space.
This further means spending less time sifting through and sorting various products into categories for recycling.
At Bin-e, executives believe the simplicity of recycling in this manner may mean that more of us “do our bit” for the environment, without really thinking about it.
The smart bin comes with a touchscreen with an easy-to-grasp interface that leads users through the process and informs them about the fill level. It can connect to the internet via WiFi or LAN connection.
Right now, Bin-e is available in one size, measuring 120 x 120 x 60 cm with an uncompressed capacity of 0.3m3 and compressed of 0.8m3. That is what the company calls the office version that is offered with a subscription service — available through a mobile app — to enable users to arrange specific collection services.
Going forward, Bin-e plans to create an outdoor version and later the home version.
Takeaway
Action point
A local government could subsidize companies embracing recycling. Better yet, it could lead by example by procuring these smart bins for their own offices and later on - release monthly, quarterly and/or annual reports on how those bins have helped them recycle more. With a cloud-based service provided by Bin-e, such an effort shouldn't require much time but could help the government spread the "green message" across the media landscape. And of course, that could help the project lead advance in the eyes of the public and ultimately help his/her career.
It could be a good business to partner with Poland's Bin-e and offer their smart trashcans to the (local) government as well as businesses. It not only helps the local recycling efforts but also makes for a seamless process for end-users. These two are key selling points of this smart bin, which alone should help your company sell them across the board. Governments should be pitched with the idea to lead by example, and when the media sees what they (the government) are doing, it should be even easier to sell it to corporate customers.