As part of National Science Week 2022, primary school students have had a hands-on lesson in using cutting-edge technologies to sort everyday recycling in the UTS Internet of Things lab.
Year 6 students from Marrickville Public School test out the Smart Bin’s recycling skills as Dr Xu Wang looks on. Image: Keith McInnes Photography
Innovative product testers
As product testing goes, inviting a group of 12-year-olds to put your innovation through its paces is a winning way to reveal its strengths and the things that need more work.
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With CSIRO Principal Research Scientist Wei Ni and UTS researcher Dr Xu Wang looking on and answering questions, Year 6 students from Marrickville Public School worked their way through a large crate of drink cans, milk bottles and laundry liquid containers to test the prototype Smart Bin.
Smart Bin Technology uses Internet of Things (IoT), sensing, robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and infrared spectroscopy technologies to automatically sort plastic, metal and glass, as well as sorting specific types of plastic.
The bin is a proof of concept device designed to improve recycling rates and reduce contamination in waste streams, with NSW only recycling 10 per cent of its 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste.
It also supports turning waste into a resource, such as commercial construction materials from recycled glass, newspaper and polystyrene.
The Smart Bin will help to promote the circular economy and contribute to a carbon neutral future.
Professor Ren Ping Liu, UTS
CSIRO Principal Research Scientist Wei Ni said, “Smart Bin Technology could be used at venues like shopping centres, schools, cinemas, coffee shops and airports. It will improve recycling rates because it is so easy to use and could ensure that materials can be recovered for reuse.”