Smart Bins

Brighter Bins, Brighter Future

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Inspiration

Putrid smell in the air, unhygienic waste scattered on ground and scorching sun from above is what befell our eyes when we happened to drive across one of the parks that was integral to our childhood. You could wonder how 3 different people possibly had the same exposure but sadly that is the story of every third world country, it strips everyone of a healthy life. So our plethora of nostalgia becoming unsanctioned trash pits meant to us what the bulb did to Einstein. We wanted to give our younger cousins and kids around the same happiness of parks and so we embarked on a journey of what to do. Our research and on ground survey made us realise how it is was not just our childhood parks but a vast majority across the country that had been sentenced to the same fate. This is where Smart Bins was birthed; a solution that aims to restore places to its former glory making the environment a more healing and beautiful experience for the upcoming generations.

What it does

Smart Bins is an innovative initiative aimed at tackling the challenge of waste management in our country areas through the implementation of cutting-edge technology. By harnessing advanced engineering principles, Smart Bins seeks to revolutionize trash collection and transport systems to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The project emphasizes a holistic approach, meticulously analyzing existing waste management infrastructures to identify inefficiencies such as overflow and contamination. Through strategic interventions like solid waste removal techniques, the technology aims to rejuvenate waste collection mechanisms, ensuring cleaner and more efficient disposal processes.

Challenges we ran into

Developing a technological device for trash collection and transport aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions poses more challenges than expected. Firstly, we found ourselves contained by our time frame; designing and implementing such a complex system requires extensive research, testing, and iteration, to address pressing environmental concerns. Financial constraints were also heavy, as the initial production costs were all out of pocket. Moreover, effective collaboration between developers, engineers, environmental experts, policymakers, and other stakeholders is necessary for further development of the project. Despite these challenges, the imperative to mitigate climate change demands creative solutions and concerted efforts to overcome the obstacles in harnessing technology for sustainable waste management.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • In a country grievously affected by carbon emission, Smart Bin aims at providing a clean environment for the younger generation to maximise their childhood experiences.
  • It potentially tackles the drainage problem of cities whose pipelines get clogged with inadequate trash dumping preventing natural disasters.

What's next for Smart Bins

  • To expand this project to different cities throughout the different provinces of Pakistan.
  • Form a partnership with state government to ensure a smoother process of implementation.
  • Incorporate more features such as wildlife and biodiversity monitoring via image processing
  • Building a network of companies for direct transportation of materials salvaged from trash to generate revenue and further decrease the cost.

Our Team

Ailia Hadi - A fourth year biomedical engineering major interested in sculpting a better world. I have always been fascinated by how technology - a tool so vast, can be adapted to change an individual’s life for the better but with the ever evolving world and the detrimental effects of late stage capitalism, I found myself losing faith. What truly shocked my worldview was learning how our world had become so polluted that microplastics had been found even in breast milk affecting the most vulnerable and pure existence on Earth. When I came across this idea, I found a glimmer of hope that I could finally hang onto and be of use in. I truly believe that with this technology we can achieve what we were always meant for, a life filled with nature and cleanliness based in community.

Fatima Hussain - A junior doctor with a love for activism rooted in advocacy for a sustainable future. My interest lies in giving marginalised communities the best chance at life allowing them to thrive. This project excited me because the effects of its success would ultimately grant people a healthy future and make it a better place for generations to play in.

Kanuz Khan - An embedded design engineer with a penchant for making world a climate inclusive place one idea at a time. While I saw my favourite corners of the city become reduced to desolated dumping grounds, I also constantly heard how technology was destroying the world around us. As a woman in tech, I thought what if I used it to save the world instead and so the inception of the Smart Bin began. What had always been a mere idea in my head is now a step closer to becoming real but more importantly it is a tiny step in securing our very beautiful surroundings!

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