A teenager in India has built the world's first solar-powered AI waste-sorting bin, according to a recent article published in The Times of India.
Arush Nath's invention automatically organizes and separates organic and recyclable materials with the help of AI technology. Known as SAWT, the solar-powered trash bin has the potential to revolutionize the waste management sector.
Nath was inspired to build SAWT after witnessing firsthand the Bhandwari landfill and the impact it had on his community. Located on the outskirts of Gurgaon, Nath first encountered the massive mountain of waste as a young child. Every time Nath passed by the landfill, the mountain of waste grew bigger, but the urban residents of Gurgaon didn't seem to notice or care.
"I was appalled at [the] city's apathy," Nath told The Times of India. "... I felt that there is an awareness needed to encourage the educated urban dwellers to at least do the basic segregation of waste at the source."
While attending two summer programs at Brown University, Nath was compelled to build his first prototype of SAWT. As he studied renewable energy and sustainable waste management, he found that eco apathy — a lack of concern or motivation to take climate action — is a problem across the globe.
SAWT became a way for Nath to not only address the world's waste management crisis but also help stop eco apathy.
Waste management is a major global challenge, with the world dumping 2.12 billion tons of waste each year, according to data relayed by The World Counts. What's worse, when that waste is mismanaged, it ends up rotting in landfills, where it pollutes the local environment and spreads harmful, planet-warming gases into the atmosphere.
Nath's SAWT invention, however, offers a realistic and cost-effective solution to help communities effectively sort their waste, so it doesn't end up rotting in a landfill. The best part? SAWT is also functional in remote areas thanks to its use of clean, solar energy.
"SAWT basically helps automate and improve waste sorting, reducing landfill sizes," Nath told The Times of India. "Harnessing the power of the sun, SAWT functions completely using a solar panel and battery eliminating the need for electricity from the grid that would otherwise come from fossil fuels."
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As a result, Nath is helping both urban and rural communities minimize waste mismanagement while reducing their carbon footprint.
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