CleanRobotics is headed there later this month, to the Chatswood Chase Sydneymall in Sydney, Australia! We’re partnering with Vicinity Centres, one of the largest mall operators in Australia, to pilot two of our units. If you find yourself in need of some last-minute holiday shopping, head to the Chatswood Chase Sydney and keep your eyes peeled for our TrashBots. We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback. #TrashBot
Vicinity Centres has demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability and community engagement, and we are honored to be a part of their efforts. We’re currently hard at work building the two units, which will feature snazzy white plastic tops. Here’s a sneak peak:
The brains of the TrashBot.Some critical pieces of the TrashBot puzzle.Some critical pieces of the TrashBot puzzle.
More photos to come. We’ll let you know when they’re en route to Sydney!
Recycling can be a really messy problem. Not just literally, as when you need to clean out your jars of peanut butter, but also mentally. Have you ever wondered where greasy pizza boxes go? Or agonized over whether or not a plastic fork is recyclable? Unfortunately, the answer changes from municipality to municipality, and possibly even from building to building! Given these constant rule changes, it’s no wonder that only 34.3% of recyclable materials were recovered nationwide in 2013.
We at CleanRobotics seek to significantly improve landfill diversion rates and materials recovery rates with our smart waste receptacle, the TrashBot, which automatically sorts recyclables from landfill waste. We’ll be deploying our TrashBots in various pilots throughout the coming months (look out for them!), but in the meantime, we wanted to give you some guidelines and answer your burning questions about how to recycle and why the rules keep changing! We sat down with the Pittsburgh Department of Public Works’ Recycling Supervisor, Kyle Winkler, and asked him to give us the low-down on recycling in Pittsburgh.
Kyle Winkler with the TrashBot at the City County Building, October 2017. Does his name sound familiar? He was our mentor during the PGH Labs program!
When asked how Pittsburgh is doing, recycling-wise, Kyle suggested that there “needs to be improvement, both in terms of how it’s measured and overall.” Kyle estimates that the Pittsburgh diversion rate (percentage of recycling recovered from the total waste generated) is only around 17%. This number is less than half of the national average, and is not nearly as optimistic-sounding as the 72% “participation rate” touted in this 2015 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article.
Kyle believes that the key to bringing the diversion rate up is “to improve educational outreach around recycling. We need more folks dedicated to education on recycling and waste management, and more resources for the public.” At the moment, residents receive an annual mailer that includes a brief recycling guide and calendar (this year’s here). There’s also the PGH.ST web app, which has information on recycling pick-up schedules (fun fact: recycling only happens once every other week, so if you’ve been putting out your recycling every week, half of your recycling is going to the landfill!), but there are no definitive guides or resources that residents can refer to for the purposes of sorting very specific items. This lack of resources translates into a lack of understanding by the public regarding proper recycling. That’s what we at CleanRobotics seek to fix, by finding out the answers and using TrashBot to provide feedback to users regarding where their waste items belong.
Unfortunately, TrashBot is not yet widely available. If you do have unanswered questions about recycling, your only recourse is to contact the Recycling Division of the Department of Public Works. In the meantime, we asked Kyle to help us figure out how to recycle properly in Pittsburgh! Here are our notes.
Before we jump into it, it’s important to understand that the limitations on what’s recyclable are due to differences in waste management facilities, especially in the case of single-stream recycling. The residential waste (for buildings with fewer than five family units) that is handled by the city of Pittsburgh primarily goes to the materials recovery facility in Hazelwood. Thus, the single-stream sorting process and machinery at the Hazelwood facility affect what you can and can’t recycle. For example, at the Hazelwood facility, glass is removed from the stream early on in the process, which also leads to the removal of small items like scraps of paper and bottle caps (see video below). Keep in mind that if your recycling is going to Neville Island (as in the case of some facilities with private waste haulers, such as office buildings or apartment buildings with more than five units), these rules may be different. Stay tuned for more info on this – CleanRobotics is on the case!
If your waste is going to Hazelwood, here are some heuristics that you can use to sort your waste more accurately than you probably already are:
Plastics #1 – 5 are okay to recycle, as long as they fit the criteria below. Steer clear of #6 and #7, for now.
Food containers (plastic, metal) are generally okay, as long as they aren’t too small or too large. Examples of items that are too small: 5 Hour Energy bottles and yogurt lids. Too large: buckets or plastic bins (over 3 gallons). No plastic wrappers or filmy materials (like bags).
Mixed paper is fine, as long as it’s not too small (no receipts or post-it notes), and not contaminated. No food residue or liquid.
DON’T PUT IN CURBSIDE RECYCLING (at least, for now):
plastic bags
metal that isn’t an aluminum, tin, or steel can (no tools, pots, pans, etc.)
paper food service items (paper plates, napkins – though these are likely compostable)
Tetra Paks or other aseptic packaging (though these may be recyclable in the near future)
small pieces of paper, like receipts or post-it notes
plastic bottles that are too small (5 Hour Energy bottles or medicine bottles)
ceramics (these are not recyclable!) The list goes on and on, but we asked Kyle for the most common items. Kyle has also noticed a number of unusual items, such as HVAC air filters, which look like they might be recyclable, but aren’t. “They look like they’re made of cardboard, but they have metal and other materials inside, and we can’t recycle them,” says Kyle. “Also, plastic hangers are not recyclable. No plastic crates, either.” Note that these rules are subject to change as facilities buy more equipment or change their sorting practices, so keep your eyes peeled.
An HVAC filter. These may look like they’re recyclable, but they’re not. Photo courtesy of Kyle Winkler.
General recycling tips from Kyle, applicable for all materials recovery facilities and recycling programs:
Use BIG blue bags (not small blue grocery bags) for recycling – or better yet, no bags at all (use a bin)! And definitely don’t tie the small blue bags together in a “bag snake” – those will almost certainly get thrown out.
If you do use a bin, place lighter items in the bottom (like paper) and heavier items on top so that they don’t get blown away when you place the bin curbside.
You can recycle metal caps (e.g. from glass bottles) or steel can lids (e.g. soup can lids), but place all of these items into a steel can and crush the top to keep them all together in the can.
You can also recycle broken bottle glass, but only from bottles – don’t recycle broken stemware, mirrors, plates, etc.
Leave bottle caps on plastic soda bottles – it’s fine!
Rinse out your items if you can…but you don’t HAVE to. Humans down the line would really appreciate it if you could rinse out your jars and bottles, especially if they formerly contained sugary liquids or solids, as the sugars tend to attract vermin. But, if you have a tiny bit of food residue left over, you can put it in the recycling bin. Don’t even think about it if there’s a lot of food left in the container.
This is what happens when you throw away a container full of peanut butter – a mess! Photo courtesy of Kyle Winkler.
If your apartment building doesn’t have a recycling program, you may have to take your recyclables to a drop-off center. See a list of locations in Pittsburgh here.
Residents may see some additional facilities and resources soon. “We’re looking to open facilities for household hazardous waste and electronic waste, hopefully next year,” says Kyle. “We’re also looking into moving away from the blue recycling bags and providing recycling bins to residents at no or low cost, sometime in the next two years.”
At the end of the day, Kyle thinks that recycling isn’t the ultimate answer. “There needs to be a cultural shift. Stop buying single-use items.” Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done, so while we wait for consumer habits and product packaging to change, keep in mind the recycling adage, “When it doubt, throw it out!” Or, just use a TrashBot.
Kyle leaves us with these words to think about: “Waste items will always need to be managed, but hopefully in increasingly thoughtful ways than what we are doing now. We’ve sent folks to the moon, landed reusable booster rockets on remotely operated landing pads in the ocean, will soon have self-driving cars, but still we are designing items for trash and sending them to a hole in the ground. Seems like a system and practice that is long overdue for change.”
Thanks for shedding some much-needed light on recycling in Pittsburgh, Kyle!
A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to participate in the Innovation Marquee event at Thrival, a quintessential Pittsburgh experience that melds together lectures and exhibits on AI, tech, and art, followed by a weekend-long music festival. The Innovation Marquee, which took place at the Carnegie Museum of Art, event brought together Pittsburgh tech companies and the public, allowing people to witness local products in action in a fun and interactive environment. 2017 marked the fifth year that Thrival’s been hosted, and we were honored to have been invited to participate.
In attendance was our TrashBot, the smart waste receptacle that automatically sorts landfill waste from recyclables. TrashBot was featured in a foyer lit with bright green lights and filled with other tech companies (plus drummers and an aerial silks display!). Given the free candy and cheap booze being sold, trash and recyclables (in the form of candy wrappers, napkins, cups, cans, and bottles) abounded, which provided users with the means to put our TrashBot to the test.
During a recent design lecture at our accelerator space, AlphaLab Gear, a professor of design from CMU told us about the importance of user feedback, particularly through open-ended, unguided interactions. Therefore, while many of the folks who stopped by were asked to fill out a survey (just for basic feedback), others were invited to tell us their freely-formed thoughts and opinions on the TrashBot. We’re going to share a few of them here.
Top Three Most Common
1. I wish the TrashBot would provide feedback about whether an item was recyclable or not.
We’re actually working on this as a capability. As proud of our product as we are, we know that it’s not going to be adopted everywhere all at once (although it really should be!), and so we want to make sure that interacting with our TrashBot allows users to learn about proper recycling and be able to apply that knowledge at other waste stations. Our next iteration will have LEDs that will indicate to users whether an item is recyclable or not. We are also considering putting such feedback on the monitor, since users tend to place an item in the TrashBot and then look expectantly at the screen.
2. I wish that I could see what was going on in the TrashBot when it sorts.
This is related to #1, in that allowing users to see what’s going on will help them understand both how the TrashBot works and how to categorize the item (recycling/landfill). This may be a potential add in the future, but for now, you can go on believing that the TrashBot sorts using robot magic!
3. Can the TrashBot sort compostable materials?
The answer to this is currently no, but it is likely in the cards for future versions. We will keep you posted!
Most Unique Feedback: The TrashBot technology could be augmented to sort clothing (e.g. at donation centers). Kudos to this user for being so creative! We don’t, however, foresee working on this problem any time soon, as our focus is on improving the waste stream. Besides, robotics and fabrics don’t have a good history together, as it’s difficult for robots to handle fabric. In fact, a sewing robot was only developed very recently. Interesting thought, though!
Tell us what you think about these, and check out Thrival’s write-up about us here!
As explained in the previous post, CleanRobotics was part of the 2017 PGH Lab Innovation program, which provided us with an opportunity to publicly showcase and test our flagship product, the TrashBot. TrashBot is an automated, smart trash can that combines next-generation robotics, computer vision, and machine learning to sort recyclable materials from non-recyclable waste, specifically at the point of disposal, which makes it safer and more effective than sorting further down the process. According to Waste Management, America’s largest recycler, the industry is experiencing a “national crisis,” with almost all of America’s 2,000 high-tech recycling facilities running in the red. There are several reasons for this, but the most significant is contamination resulting from inaccurate human sorting. During the week of 9/11 – 9/15, one TrashBot was deployed in the City County Building in downtown Pittsburgh, where we were able to collect valuable feedback from curious passersby. Their great interest in the TrashBot made it clear that the residents of Pittsburgh are ready for better recycling, and we at CleanRobotics are ready to help.
The Pittsburghers with whom we interacted provided some excellent feedback. Based on surveys and conversations with employees and members of the public, we were able to determine the following:
The top reasons for people not separating their waste into recycling and landfill waste are “Lack of knowledge about materials they are disposing” and “Lack of knowledge about different types of receptacles.” There are so many different kinds of materials that go into packaging and products, and properly looking up how to sort individual items can be an arduous task. TrashBot will take away the pain of sorting while providing users with feedback regarding how to sort, so that they’ll learn whether or not an item is recyclable and be able to apply that knowledge going forward.
The majority of the respondents described our product as “Unique” and “Innovative,” and 81% rated the design and build “Above Average.” We want to make sure that our units are attractive and will look good no matter what environment they are in. Waste can be a messy eyesore, but waste receptacles don’t have to be!
60% of respondents liked the sleek design of the TrashBot, although many felt that it was too large. This feedback will help us to make a more user-friendly, accessible product. We want to make sure that all of our users can comfortably interact with the TrashBot.
Several people suggested that the TrashBot needs to sort more quickly in order to make it easier to use. Your time is valuable – we want to make sure that your only your trash, and not your time, is wasted.
A fun suggestion: TrashBot should play music to attract attention in hallways and public places. TrashBot, Jukebox edition. We’ll let you know if our future market research supports this suggestion.
To everyone who stopped by to chat with us and fill out the survey – thank you! Your comments and feedback will allow us to make a better, more user-friendly product. Based on the primarily positive feedback, it’s clear that we are on the right track.
The PGH Lab Innovation program was not only an opportunity for us to collect data, but a demonstration of the many wonderful projects and potential collaborations that are evolving within the Pittsburgh community. Partnerships were formed between a number of local startups and government entities, including:
Clean Robotics & City of Pittsburgh
Cognowear & Urban Redevelopment Authority
MellonHead Labs & Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority
FlyWheel & Urban Redevelopment Authority
Kaarta & City of Pittsburgh
Thus, every startup had a reporting authority and a mentor champion assigned to them who worked to guide them during the length of the program. This enabled the startups to better understand a subset of the markets and clients that they hope to serve, while also giving their government partners a glimpse of the future! The program ended with a celebration, with speeches from each of the startup founders, their mentors, and the city officials who made the program possible. From each and every one of those speeches, it was clear that the program was a great success. We are incredibly thankful to have been a part.
Beyond the valuable feedback and public exposure that we received, it was immensely motivating for us to see the enthusiasm with which the public embraced the idea of automatic waste sorting. The product that we build and the work that we do is informed by people like you! So be sure to keep a lookout for TrashBot and let us know what you think. We look forward to further serving the city of Pittsburgh in the near future.
CleanRobotics just wrapped up a pilot with the City of Pittsburgh’s innovation arm called PGH Lab, which helps local startups pilot their products and services in real environments in th Pittsburgh area. CleanRobotics is proud to have been part of their 2017 cohort of startups.
We’ll share some key insights from the pilot in our next post, but for now, here’s some info on PGH Lab. We sat down with Annia Aleman, Civic Innovation Specialist at PGH Lab, to ask a few questions about the program.
1. How would you describe the program at PGH Labs, and what benefits does it offer for startups?
Annia: The PGH Lab program brings local startups to test products and services at the City of Pittsburgh and participating authorities for 3-4 months. The program targets early-stage startups with a working prototype so that they can test products and services in a real-world environment and gain as much feedback on the product as possible. In addition, participating companies get to work with a city staff member who acts as a mentor and provides feedback on the product/service, access to the city’s network, co-working space, and free membership to the 1776 UNION online global incubator.
2. What are the criteria used to select the companies for each?
Annia: Startups are evaluated on the following criteria:
Innovation-based solution: Solution addresses the challenge creatively and effectively, is compatible with or flexible to work with City’s IT infrastructure and City requirements.
Skills, Experience, and Background: Professional qualifications and education of team members, the existence (or lack thereof) of existing and working prototypes, recent relevant experience of team members.
Impact: The proposed solution has potential to benefit the City and its residents.
Inclusion: The Company’s commitment to the principles of diversity and inclusion.
Has the selection process been difficult?
Annia: Not at all, companies are evaluated based on the criteria above and a scoring mechanism by the PGH Lab review committee. The companies with the highest scores move on to the second part of the selection process which includes a company presentation and an opportunity for Q&A.
3. What are some of the positive outcomes from the program?
Annia: We are still learning as we go. However, after completing the pilot projects, companies gain a deeper understanding of how their products/services work in a real-world environment and they also learn the ins and out of working with local government.
4. You supported our team throughout the program, especially with respect to logistics, and we thank you for that! How would you define your specific role within the program?
Annia: I coordinate the program, serve as a liaison between the startups and city government, and also work in the Roadmap for Inclusive Innovation team.
5. What do you think the future holds for the program?
Annia: The City of Pittsburgh and participating authorities will launch a third cycle of the program in late October. We hope to engage more local startups and to keep providing a platform for them to test their innovative products and services. In addition, we hope to grow our testing network by bringing in new partners.
We at CleanRobotics would like to thank Annia for her help and support throughout the PGH Lab Innovation pilot! Look forward to our insights in the next post. In the meantime, follow PGH Lab on Twitter @PghIP.
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