ENABLING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES for a USER-INCENTIVISED CIRCULARITY of PACKAGING

Introduction

Aware of the increasing environmental problems produced by packaging waste, the EU has set stricter recycling targets for the coming years, aiming to achieve 90% recovery rates by 2029 as outlined in the European Plastics Strategy.

Background

Pushed by EU binding targets and social demand, some member countries, regional, and local authorities have started to operate Reward-As-You-Throw schemes (RAYT) with the intention of improving their recycling rates.

RAYT Programs

In RAYTs, citizens are rewarded for sorting and returning their packaging waste. There is a growing number of national RAYT programs across Europe, for example:

• Portugal: Recicla Oeste Cim (oestecim.pt)
• Spain: Reciclos (reciclos.com)
• France: RAYT (terradona.com)
• Austria: Recyclemich (recyclemich.at)
• UK: Hubbub (hubbub.org.uk)

Project Overview

CENTS4PACK addresses the further development, validation, and large-scale demonstration of an innovative IoT-based solution, RECYSMART, that facilitates the deployment of RAYTs to increase recovery rates.

Technology Description

Installed over any street bin, RecySmart is able to characterize all packaging materials introduced: glass, plastic, metal, and carton brick, using edge-AI acoustics techniques.

Implementation Plan

The complete solution will be demonstrated for 12 months in the City of Guadalajara, which has 86,222 inhabitants. The city has 1,063 selective bins (631 glass – Green, 432 light packaging), and we aim to equip 500 bins with RecySmart (305 for Glass and 195 for Light Packaging).

Expected Outcomes

With the system in place, we look forward to increasing the recovery rates by 25% compared to the previous scenario (2018). The impact at the project's end is expected to be:

1. 137 tons of glass recovered
2. 196 tons of light packaging recovered
3. 402 tons of CO2 saved, equivalent to the yearly absorption of 18,531 trees.

Conclusion

CENTS4PACK aims to bring an important transformation to society, changing the way we see waste and how we deal with it.