Award-winning tech startup CleanRobotics is proud to announce that its Co-Founder and CEO, Charles Yhap, has been named an honoree in the 2022 Smart Business Pittsburgh Smart 50 Awards.
The Pittsburgh Smart 50 recognizes top executives in the region for their ability to build and lead successful organizations and for their efforts in Impact, Innovation and Sustainability. Smart Business Magazine has been recognizing executives’ leadership efforts and success, in a range of industries, through their Smart 50 awards since 2014. Charles Yhap and CleanRobotics are joined by honorees including Rama Subba Rao of Aquatech International, a global leader in water purification technology, and Ameesh Kapoor of 412 Food Rescue, a platform that provides a high-tech solution to food assistance and combats food waste.
Yhap co-founded CleanRobotics in 2015 to revolutionize waste recovery, eliminate confusion around recycling rules, and prevent contamination of materials before they are sent to recycling facilities. By combining education, artificial intelligence and advanced robotics, CleanRobotics solves recycling problems at the source. The company’s flagship product, TrashBot, identifies and sorts waste items at the time of disposal and eliminates human error. Additionally, TrashBot features a screen and content management system, educating the public and making recycling accessible and easier for everyone.
TrashBot also generates on-demand waste audits and provides analytics to empower decision-making, making it particularly effective in high-traffic facilities with Zero Waste goals. TrashBot makes it possible for organizations to achieve quantifiable, repeatable outcomes when it comes to their sustainability initiatives, bringing us all one step closer to a zero-waste future.
A mission-driven company combining recycling AI, robotics, computer vision, and machine learning, CleanRobotics brings new life to recycling programs and the circular economy. The CleanRobotics team is driven by the core belief that sorting waste accurately at the source is the best way to ensure recyclables and other recoverable materials are diverted from landfills, driving substantial environmental impact. CleanRobotics’ mission ensures the effectiveness of recycling programs at high-traffic facilities while securing the ROI of such programs.
More information on how to pilot TrashBot in your facility can be found at www.cleanrobotics.com.
Ever wondered how much trash is generated at a regular football game? EPA reports that an average college football game produces around 50 to 100 tons of waste. Each year, the Super Bowl generates nearly 40 tons of trash. Across the US, sporting event attendees generate almost 39 million pounds of trash annually.
These numbers are scary, but stadiums are among the biggest and most crowded places. Some are designed with a seating capacity of over 100,000 people (as much as an entire city)! As a general rule of thumb, a large crowd means more trash and more potential stadium recycling opportunities.
In this article, we will discuss where and how to start stadium recycling and discuss stadiums that have implemented a sustainability program.
Stadium Recycling: Where to Start
At stadiums, tens of thousands of people gather to watch games, concerts, and other events. Generally, these places generate tons of trash and potential recycling opportunities. Running sustainable events and implementing a sound recycling program can not only help save the planet, but also thousands of dollars.
There are many opportunities to recycle both inside and outside of the stadium (like in the parking lot). The most common recyclables at the stadium include aluminum cans, plastic beverage bottles, and cardboard boxes. The best part about recycling these three is that they can be collected either separately or together. Additionally, recycling cardboard can be especially beneficial as it can save thousands of dollars in waste disposal.
Many stadiums around the United States are turning toward sustainable solutions. For example, the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle uses rainwater from the roof to make ice for the hockey team. When Falcons fans recycle beer or soda cans, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta cashes in the aluminum and uses the money to build new houses through Habitat for Humanity. Minneapolis takes things a step further by reusing, recycling, or composting any waste generated during the Vikings games and turning the rest into steam that’s used to heat downtown buildings. They also composted or recycled 91% of the trash the 68,000 fans threw out during the 2018 Super Bowl Lll.
How to Get Started with Stadium Recycling?
Step 1: Run a Waste Audit
The first step in starting a stadium recycling program is running a waste audit. The goal is to identify the most common items in your waste stream and evaluate your current waste disposal methods. In most stadiums, the waste stream looks something like this:
Plastic bottles
Aluminum cans
Glass
Paper
Cardboard
Food waste
General waste
Step 2: Set Initial Aims
The next step is to set some achievable yet measurable aims. For example, having a waste segregation system to enable better recycling or separating food waste from general waste and mixing it with green waste to be composted.
Step 3: Improve Over Time
Lastly, put the plan into action and try to improve over time. However great your plan may be, there are always some areas that can use improvement, and the best way to identify those areas is by observing and adjusting the program over time.
How to Run a Successful Stadium Recycling Program?
While we see stadiums as a whole, it’s important to realize that facilities like these have several distinct areas like parking lots and concessionaires. Each of these areas poses a specific challenge, which must be addressed separately.
Parking Lots
Recycling outside of the stadiums is almost as important as doing so inside. That is especially important since tailgating is popular, which generates a large volume of recyclable and compostable materials. While you can place recycling bins alongside the regular trash bin, using a permanent or semi-permanent bin has the potential to become damaged. This issue can also be addressed by passing out collection bags to the stadium attendees and asking them to collect their recyclables and leave the bags in the parking lot on their way out.
Doors
The first contact point between the attendees and the venue is the gate. Since many stadiums prohibit outside food and beverages, placing recycling containers to collect recyclables like plastic bottles can be highly effective. Putting prominent and easily-visible signs on the bins can smoothen the process and educate people on the go.
Concessionaries
Concessionaries are some of the most crowded places and generate a big part of potential recyclable and compostable materials. Since most stadiums do not allow people to bring outside food or beverages, concessionaries control most of the generated trash and can be a key partners in facilitating stadium recycling.
One of the most widely-used and widely-disposed materials by concessionaires is cardboard. Most concessionaires discard tons of corrugated cardboard, which can be easily recycled. Concessionaires can take measures to implement stadium recycling by using recyclable materials and packaging that cuts down on waste.
Seating Area
The stadium seating areas are a gold mine for potential recyclables and compostables. People love to eat and drink while watching the game and they generally leave the containers and packaging in the seating area. A post-event cleanup throughout the seating area is labor-intensive and time-consuming, but it’s the best way to collect recyclables.
Hallways, Rest Rooms, and Other Public Areas
While the seating area may sound like a great spot to place a recycling bin, it’s generally not a good idea, considering the limited space. Therefore, public areas like hallways and restrooms are a much better place for recycling bins. Even though most stadiums have an adequate number of trash cans, they may not be positioned correctly (in high-traffic areas). If it’s a choice between looking for a recycling container and using a trash can, most people will choose the trash cans, so facilities should consider placement very carefully in order to optimize recycling efforts.
For centuries, philosophers have debated whether people are instinctively good or bad, and recent studies show that our first impulses are generally selfless. When it comes to recycling, people want to do right by the environment by recycling and living a conscious lifestyle. However, what they don’t know is how to do it properly.
A recent survey by Republic Services revealed that 88% percent of the respondents said that recycling is important but nearly all of them failed that basic recycling quiz. What’s even more surprising is that only 4% of the respondents scored an A on the quiz. Since people have good intentions, we can only assume that the issue is a lack of recycling data and education among the masses.
How Wishcycling is Doing More Harm than Good
Whether you’re new to recycling or a seasoned pro, recycling labeling can be a challenge. People often believe that all recyclables can be recycled curbside or that everything with a recycling symbol can be recycled. While confusions and misconceptions are one thing, wishcycling is a whole other story.
Wishcycling (also known as aspirational recycling) is when you put items in the recycling bin hoping that they will be recycled despite the rules stating otherwise. What makes Wishcycling more harmful to the environment is that it contaminates the entire batch and everything that could be recycled ends up in a landfill. The recycling industry is struggling as it is and aspirational recycling often ends up causing facilities to dedicate more resources to sorting the items.
“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”
When people don’t know exactly what to do, they decide to go with what they think they should do. In recycling, that can be worse, and educating people about recycling can help us avoid wishcycling and bring us one step closer to a better tomorrow.
Recycling Data is Power
Over the last two decades, people have realized the importance of data. It helps us understand how certain things happen, help us make better decisions, and work smarter. Companies like Google and Amazon have leveraged data to improve and boost their ROI. Scientists are currently using data to understand the rapidly changing environment and how to combat climate change.
Data helps to recycle in many ways, like pinpointing the root causes behind recycling problems and resolving those. For example, in Europe, trash disposal generally costs households, while recycling is free. It can also help companies develop technologies like recycling robots, smart bins, and other solutions that streamline the recycling process and make it faster.
Another great way that data can help companies recycle is identifying areas where they are creating waste. That way, they can develop a solution to reduce waste and turn towards more environment-friendly options.
Leveraging Recycling Data for Recycling Education
What happens if you throw the coffee grounds into the recycling bin? The most likely scenario is that everything in the recycling bin goes to waste. While recycling is important, what’s even more important is knowing what and how to recycle. If you mix recyclables with non-recyclables, all your effort can go in vain.
That’s where recycling education comes in. In a world where people want to do good but make mistakes, the best course of action is to use data and educate people about what to do and how.
How to Start Practical Recycling Education
Starting recycling education can start from the very top i.e., our schools. Republic Services, with the help of educators, has designed a free, downloadable curriculum that is designed to educate students about recycling. This has the potential to not only educate the students but also change their mindset from the very beginning.
Another way to drive public change is through direct feedback. In a Texas Municipality, a public education campaign was led to decrease contamination rates in household recycling. The campaign included giving out tips, marketing, and direct home-to-home fliers to educate the people. It also included an eight-week-long audit during which the inspectors would check residents’ recycling bins and leave an “Oops” tag where they found contaminants. By the end of the audit, the contamination rates went from 21% to 11% within eight weeks.
As the contamination rate went down, so did the cost of collecting and processing recyclables. Cleaner recyclables also have more value than materials like aluminum cans and plastic water bottles.
Standardizing Recycling Metrics
A recent study by the Consumer Brands Association revealed that many Americans find recycling more difficult to understand than taxes. What makes recycling so difficult to understand is the lack of centralized standards for reporting recycling metrics. Even the definition of recycling across the country is not uniform.
Without a foundation, we’re running blind. It’s impossible to address issues and improve the architecture without a proper foundation.
To address this issue, the Recycling Leadership Council (RLC) is calling for a national strategy for recycling in Blueprint for America’s Recycling System. That involves a policy action, including a plan to enhance data collection, which can be leveraged towards fixing recycling issues in the United States.
Educate People at the Point of Disposal
Recycling education is important, but when and how should we educate the people?
A great way to educate people about recycling is right when they’re about to throw something into the bin. However, you can only put so many stickers on a bin, and conventional bins don’t come equipped with a screen and content management system. That’s where smart bins like TrashBot come in.
TrashBot sorts items at the time of disposal and disposes of items into the right bins, but that’s not all! TrashBot also comes with an in-built screen and a content management system so you can show users anything you want. A great way to educate the users while sorting waste and gathering data at the same time!
CleanRobotics is selected as one of the eight companies in the EPA’s SBIR Program Phase II to further develop and commercialize its TrashBot waste diversion technology.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the eight small businesses nationwide selected to receive the SBIR Program Phase II funding. Since the successful completion of Phase I, CleanRobotics was among the companies chosen for the Phase II award, enabling innovative solutions for environmental issues. The robotics startup was awarded $400,000 to further develop and commercialize the TrashBot smart bin, an automated waste system that sorts at the point of disposal.
Also known as “America’s Seed Fund”, the SBIR program launched nearly 40 years ago, with the mission to protect human and environmental health through innovative green technologies. Opening annual applications for science and technology-based small business, Phase II grants are limited to companies that have successfully completed SBIR Phase I projects.
Proposals selected for the EPA SBIR Phase II award: Triangle Environmental Health Initiative Ohio Lumex Company, Inc. Sonata Scientific LLC CleanRobotics, Inc. Zabble Inc. KLAW Industries LLC Geometric Data Analytics, Inc. Kebotix, Inc.
CleanRobotics is revolutionizing waste and resource recovery. Using robotics, computer vision, and machine learning, TrashBot identifies and sorts items into their corresponding bins inside the system. By eliminating human error in the users’ on-site decision-making process, circular materials can be recovered at a 95% accuracy rate.
Since its launch, TrashBot has been piloted in high-traffic facilities such as Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, The National Aviary, and several other companies.
To learn more about TrashBot Zero, visit www.cleanrobotics.com. Media Contact: Frank Fimbres, Marketing Lead frank.fimbres@cleanrobotics.com
Do you know that each American produces nearly 4.51 pounds of trash daily and spends thousands of dollars every year just to pick up that trash? Alongside issues like a rapidly growing population and overconsumption, we also have to deal with overproduction instead of quality goods. This results in more waste, which is making our ecosystem more and more vulnerable to environmental threats.
The EPA estimates that nearly 70 percent of all waste is recyclable, while only 32.1 percent of the waste is actually recycled or composted. The United States has a $6.6 billion recycling industry, and a majority of people understand the importance of recycling in their everyday life. Still, the industry continues to decline due to the high costs associated with recycling. For this reason, it’s cheaper for companies to use “virgin” raw materials instead of recycled ones. However, there are still ways that companies can increase their ROI and make profits by starting recycling programs and managing them efficiently.
Recycling may not sound like the most dangerous industry in the world. However, you may be surprised that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it has the sixth-highest fatality rate among all U.S. civilian jobs in 2019. Considering factors like workplace safety, lack of career trajectory, low wages, and monotony of working tasks, the recycling industry is also among the most challenging hiring markets.
Alongside hiring challenges, accuracy and productivity issues are attributed to the human workforce. As the day progresses, and naturally, workers get tired, their sorting accuracy will likely decline and lead to contamination. On top of that, human workers can work only so many hours, and if an MRF wants to operate round the clock, they will have to work in shifts, inevitably leading to some downtime.
How is technology helping the recycling industry?
Tech is making our world a better place by making life easier and helping us manage our lives more efficiently. Innovations in the waste management and recycling industry can take over manual tasks like sorting waste, increasing work efficiency, and reducing the time it takes humans to get the job done. Introducing recycling innovations such as on-site sorting robots can make the recycling industry not only more efficient but also safer for workers.
While the exact workings may differ, most recycling innovations use a combination of robotics, AI/computer vision, and machine learning. Computer vision software is used to identify various materials, which are then sorted by using robots, and the data is monitored and stored for later. Most recycling utilizes a simple three-step process.
Identify
Nearly all recycling tech solutions utilize a combination of computer vision and machine learning or AI to detect, classify, and track recyclables within the waste stream. Some of these systems even have up to 95% accuracy rates.
Sort
After identifying various objects within the waste stream, the next step is picking up recyclables and sorting them into various categories.
Monitor
Since computer vision is used to identify various objects within the waste stream, it generates a considerable amount of data. This data can be stored ad used to make informed decisions and run quality waste audits.
How Recycling Tech Can Improve Your Company’s ROI
For decades, the linear take-make-use-dispose model has been the standard approach toward production and consumption. However, the biggest issue with the linear model is that most materials get contaminated before they can be sorted and recycled or reused. Recent trends point towards a circular economy where waste management technology will be geared towards extracting raw materials from the current waste stream.
Recycling tech can improve your company’s ROI in the following ways:
Help companies stay on top of local recycling rules and avoid the general public’s errors.
Speeds up the waste management process by sorting more efficiently.
Sorting your waste stream at the time and point of disposal.
Analyzing the waste stream and finding opportunities to save money and resources.
Generate waste audits to make informed decisions.
Recycling Tech That Can Help Increase Your Recycling ROI
Waste Level Sensors
With the growing population, people are producing more and more waste every day. On the other hand, we cannot know when the trash bin will be full. Without adequate information about the trash bin’s fullness, it’s challenging to change the trash bags in time and maintain clean facilities. Waste-level sensors solve this issue by informing the users which trash bins are full and at which location. In high-traffic areas, this can give collectors a considerable advantage concerning the timing and bin fullness.
AI Recycling Robots
Let’s face it, humans are prone to making mistakes. In recycling, one of the most significant issues is that people don’t know what to recycle and end up wishcycling. When recyclables are not handled properly or mixed with other materials, they get contaminated. Many recycling facilities and smart recycling solutions use AI recycling robots that identify and separate recyclables from non-recyclables with more accuracy and at a faster pace.
E-Waste Kiosks
When it comes to e-waste recycling, the biggest questions are when, how, and where. Disposing of electronics can be tricky as many gadgets are made up of hazardous materials. E-waste kiosks address this issue by accepting electronic waste and reimbursing the users for their old devices. It uses smart technology to identify the value of the gadgets and pay the user accordingly.
Waste Management Software and Dashboard
Alongside hybrid waste management solutions, there are also waste management software and dashboards that utilize analytics and reporting to help companies reduce waste and improve their recycling ROI. Based on its type, the waste management software market can be divided into waste tracking software, waste hauling software, route management software, recycling software, maintenance software, and more. These software and dashboards are used primarily to schedule waste storage, disposal, and transportation alongside implementing strategies to recycle or reuse materials.
Smart Waste Bins
The best way to deal with recycling issues and avoid contamination is by sorting waste at the time of disposal. Smart waste bins utilize computer vision, AI, and machine learning to automatically sort waste into the right bin as soon as someone throws something into the trash bin. Smart waste bins like TrashBot also have built-in screens and a content management system that can help educate users about recycling. Companies can also run automated waste audits and get the report within a few minutes.
