Mobile phones and recycling tech combine in new scheme
Wednesday, May 9, 2018 - 11:32:25
A project being pursued by waste management firms in London could soon see consumers taking advantage of a unique mobile app that helps them handle recycling more efficiently and accurately, according to the Evening Standard.
Industry experts are concerned about the amount of packaging waste that is being produced in the UK at the moment, with the rise of online shopping adding to this already significant issue. The hope is that by harnessing the ubiquity of smartphones, it will be easier to educate households about how to dispose of these materials in a sustainable, environmentally conscious manner.
The government is in the process of formulating legislation that will make all types of single-use plastics a thing of the past. But until these changes come into force, it will still be necessary to take on the mountains of packaging that are thrown out in the capital each day.
The idea is that with an app that is capable of scanning packaging and telling people how to sort and recycle it, a lot of the current complications would be overcome.
Unfortunately, such a change would mean that relying on traditional barcodes would not be an option. Instead new RFID tags would need to be installed in packaging so that accurate identification could take place, which would require something of an overhaul in the way that containers are manufactured.
Experts believe that these tags would cost around 10p apiece, which means that the price of many products would creep upwards. Consumers might baulk at the concept of having to pay more, but the rise of recycling and a desire to become more eco-friendly is commonplace, which might help cushion the blow.
This project is still in its early phases, but it shows that phones and recycling could soon go hand in hand.
Latest News
Wednesday, May 13, 2020 - 10:32:41
Every industry around the world has been impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and recycling has been especially affected as a result of force [...]
Read More
Wednesday, May 6, 2020 - 21:33:36
Apple has pulled back the curtains on the all-new iPhone SE, bringing with it a raft of eco-friendly design features which aim to improve the green cr [...]
Read More
Wednesday, April 29, 2020 - 21:32:00
Researchers from New Zealand have demonstrated a new recycling solution which could help companies to reclaim rare materials from smartphones, PCs and [...]
Read More