Made in Poland: artificial intelligence sorting system

Poland – Granted, a large proportion of consumer products carry the stamp ”made in China”. But the next big innovative waste management solution is being produced ‘right here’ in Poland, according to Marcin Lotysz, co-founder of Bin-e. He is confident that ‘the world’s first intelligent waste bin’ will ‘revolutionise sorting behaviour’ and may boost recycling rates at public hotspots by as much as 80%.

Forget Wall-e, meet Bin-e. The smart waste bin uses sensors to recognise plastics, glass, paper and mixed materials, storing each in designated containers that can be easily removed once full. ‘As the bin is connected to the cloud, waste pick-up of specific materials or bins can be arranged effectively, resulting in 30% fuel savings,’ Lotysz announced at the Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference, held last week in Warsaw.

‘A great benefit is that the system automatically identifies objects and immediately compresses them prior to storage; this leaves a lot of room for more materials,’ he added. The machine also ‘becomes smarter’ every time it reads objects, according to Lotysz. ‘Artificial intelligence is at the core of the bin. So it talks to the cloud to report a new type of product and material composition. That way, it learns as you throw.’

The fully automated bin is said to be best suited to high-traffic public places such as airports, shopping centres, offices and schools. ‘We are finishing the prototype and are getting ready to introduce the outside version of Bin-e in early 2018,’ the Polish entrepreneur stated.

‘Then, by 2020, we want to launch the ideal kitchen-size appliance. Maximising proper waste treatment could start at home.’

Thus far, the smart bin has been successfully tested at ING bank in Warsaw and several offices in Berlin.