Have you ever stood in front of a bin and wonder if your item would be recycled? UNSW’s new Smart Bin panels aim to make recycling less confusing and stop items ending up in the wrong bin – and potentially contaminating an entire batch of recycling – by only accepting recyclable packaging.
Where are they located?
Four of those smart bins are now installed across campus:
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Across The Little Marionette coffee shop (E24)
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Next to Main library entrance (D22)
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Quadrangle lawn - next to chemist along the lawn (E15)
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Terraces - across from IGA (C9)
You can find them listed on UNSW sustainability map (Recycling).
How do they work?
The bins feature a locked flap that only opens for eligible items. Empty your container, scan the barcode of the item you’d like to recycle, and drop it in the opened flap. The locked flap will only open if the item is accepted.
The bins will accept Return and Earn cans, bottles, cartons and juice boxes. It does not take coffee cups, Boost Juice containers and any containers with no barcode.
Why do we try those bins?
Contamination is a significant problem in the recycling process for all organisations, and UNSW is no exception. The tolerance level for contamination can be as low as 5 per cent in some recycling streams. That means that even if 95 per cent of staff and students recycle correctly, a bin full of recycling may still end up in landfill if it is contaminated by a small number of unrecyclable items.
We also want to promote UNSW’s born innovation! The Smart Bin barcode scanning panels were developed by Charopy, a start-up created by UNSW alumnus Martin Collings, who made key components of the Smart Bin technology on campus in UNSW’s Makerspace. Charopy’s panels can now be found in schools, shopping centres and corporate offices around Australia.
Obviously, the best waste is no waste, make sure you consider reusable options before buying single use recyclable items. Happy recycling!
Find out more about how to recycle effectively at UNSW and explore the UNSW Environmental Sustainability website to learn more about Environmental Sustainability at the University.
Have questions or suggestions about UNSW's sustainability journey? We'd love to hear from you! Get in touch at [email protected].