E-Bin

What is it about?

Participants earn “green points” in the form of coupons that might include a prime parking spot or classroom seat, school event tickets or store items, study hall, cafeteria or computer passes, or even coupons from local fast-food restaurants or businesses. Existing recycling bins are arranged as needed to keep the castoff plastic bottles, glass bottles, cans and other waste separated. An app on the user’s mobile phone is used to scan the QR code at the recycling station along with the UPC (Universal Product Code) on the beverage bottle to be discarded. The information enables a software algorithm to inform the students which bin to use and provides rewards to them as they deposit cans, bottles and other trash. Rewards are also earned by depositing items that don’t have UPC codes such as Styrofoam, plastic bags or ink cartridges by simply entering or speaking the name of the item. The benefit of E-BIN is that more trash gets into the correct openings, thus generating sorted recyclables which improves the recycling process and make trash collection much easier.