Some intelligent dustbins were set in Pengpu New Village, Shanghai, recently, to help the authorities carry out finer management of garbage sorting. 

These mobile intelligent garbage bins look fairly ordinary in appearance. But when you open their doors, you will find a weighing system and a sensor under each of the four sortable garbage bins, which are connected to the Intelligent Environmental Sanitation IoT platform at the rear. If the garbage is approaching the bin’s full capacity, a warning will be sent to the management personnel to remind them to contact a cleaner to empty the bins. 

The built-in ozone deodorization system operates for 10 minutes per hour, decomposing the odor and mixed gases given off by organic pollutants into odorless gases.

The workload of cleaners has been greatly reduced, as these bins feature an intelligent compression function, said Qian Yiwei, property manager in Pengpu New Village. Take the residual waste bin for example. Once the waste reaches 80 percent of the bin’s full capacity, a compression rod will be activated, so that the volume of the rubbish will be compressed to one fifths to one thirds of the original size.

Through big data analysis, this management system can promote an efficient allocation of resources for garbage delivery and transportation. Then, by checking the records and distribution points, relevant personnel can better manage garbage sorting, free of blind corners. The platform will also visualize and analyze various data, including the number and types of garbage delivery. 

The cost of such a set of intelligent garbage bins ranges between 30,000 yuan and 50,000 yuan, which is lower than that of a traditional set. In terms of operation and maintenance, smart garbage bins will also reduce manpower significantly.As domestic waste classification is being implemented nationwide, there is a huge market for AI technology.

Zhang Nian, director of China Urbanization Research Center of Fudan University, said that Shanghai's garbage sorting is still in its infancy, as it needs a lot of investment in supervision and management. However, with the help of AI in the future, it will continue to liberate human resources, reduce operating costs and improve classification efficiency.