Saint Louis University Researcher Tackles the Recycling Problem with GeoAI and Sensor-Powered Waste, Recycling Bins

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Neighborhoods in the City of St. Louis will soon be able to track their recycling and solid waste thanks to a geospatial sensor developed by a Saint Louis University researcher. Orhun Aydin, Ph.D., assistant professor in Earth and Atmospheric Science at SLU’s School for Science and Engineering, received a $149,791 planning grant from the National Science Foundation for a program to put sensors in garbage and recycling bins around the City of St. Louis.

The program follows a pilot conducted at Saint Louis University, which allowed the research team to see when and where people dispose of their waste and recyclables. Aydin said he was inspired to work on fixing environmental issues at the source after spending years in industry working on islands of plastics in the oceans. “I wasn’t aware of the scale until then. I realized the solution can’t be fixing the islands of waste – we had to cut things off at the tap,” Aydin said. “I want to fix the problem in the city before it reaches the natural environment.”

Solid waste management and recycling is a significant challenge for communities, as only a small fraction of the recyclables collected are recycled. Mismanaged solid waste is routed to landfills and incinerators, most of which are now built in low-income communities and communities of color.  The project develops an Internet of Things (IoT) system to connect people and communities to the fate of their waste by forming data-driven links between citizens, local government, waste service contractors, and policymakers.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantage.com