Deposit–Refund System for Segregation of Waste Plastic Materials Using Smart Garbage Cans for Effective Recycling of Plastic in Mumbai

Abstract

Abstract

Recycling plastic is one of the many effective ways of reducing the carbon footprint of the planet. But most of the plastic waste in Mumbai ends up in the dumping yards and burned along with the other garbage, instead of getting recycled. About 3.5 tons of plastic is thus emitted in the city’s air in the form of toxic gases. Plastic waste is a worldwide issue causing air contamination, water contamination etc. The major cause for this is the inability of the local government body to segregate plastic waste from other garbage. The harmful effects of inefficient plastic disposal, its causes and the threat it poses to Mumbai are all reviewed in this paper. The Deposit–Refund system using smart garbage cans can help to overcome this problem by separating plastic from other waste for recycling. To implement the system, barcode scanning technology is used to deposit a fee while buying a plastic product and a barcode scanner at the smart can scans the barcode for refunding the fee to the user. Along with a case study of the feasibility of a similar system that was implemented by the Zero Waste Scotland commission, we also conclude the advantages and drawbacks of the system.

Keywords: plastic, deposit, refund, segregate, recycle

Cite this Article

Machado K, Sonawane J. Deposit–Refund System for Segregation of Waste Plastic Materials Using Smart Garbage Cans for Effective Recycling of Plastic in Mumbai. Research & Reviews: Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology. 2018; 7(1): 14–18p.