A 3 in 1 reverse vending machine. A vending machine that is solar powered and accepts bottles and cans made of plastic, aluminum, and glass. The machine includes a conveyor system, barcode reader and cleaning system, this prepares the bottle and cans to be shredded and then granulated into small pieces. The machine houses a delivery system that carries the smaller pieces of processed material to its predetermined receptacle for storage. Each bottle and can has a monetary value once received by the machine that will be issued to the user once all bottles and cans are received and calculated per user per transaction.

One example embodiment is adapted for use in facilitating collection and transport of memory devices, e.g., drives, motherboards, etc., e.g., for the purposes of subsequent destruction. The example embodiment has an outer bin, also called a garage or outer enclosure, within which is placed an inner bin with wheels. Once closed and locked, the outer bin has a door that can be opened so drives or other memory devices can be inserted. The drives then fall into the inner bin and, once sufficiently filled, the inner bin be easily wheeled out from the outer bin. The inner bin has its own locking lid that is secured when transporting the inner bin with the drives, e.g., to a destruction facility or area. Other features are provided as described below. Enhanced synergistic security features include use of multi-point locking latches to secure doors and lids, metal construction of the bins, and so on. The bins are sized to facilitate efficient collection and transport of potentially sensitive data center media.

A recycling apparatus with two methods of recycling items. The apparatus is preferably configured as a kiosk placed within a location such as a store, market or gas station or external to a location. The kiosk has an enclosure including a receiving opening with a lockable door. In the first configuration, bottles or cans are secured onto a recycling strip, which is then inserted through the receiving opening and attached onto a securing means within the enclosure. In the second configuration, a recycling strip is not utilized and the bottles or cans are inserted through the receiving opening, placed on a support platform and then processed into recyclable material. Operating controls or a wireless interface allows control of the operation of the apparatus. Once the bottles or cans are processed, the remaining recyclable material is then removed from the enclosure for transportation to a recycling facility.

A roll or set of waste bags is configured with a design-changing scheme that alerts a user about the number or approximate number of bags remaining in their set of waste bags. The design-changing scheme may utilize colors that alert the user that the specific waste bag roll is almost depleted. For example, using colors that differ from the remaining bags, such as green, orange, yellow, and/or red, can indicate to the user that they should either order more waste bags or refill their waste bag holder. In other implementations, a progressive color-changing scheme may be put in place, such that the first or second bag in the roll start showing a partial red portion to indicate to the user approximately how many bags they have left. The amount of red, or other colors, on the bag, may grow incrementally up to the last bag in the set.

A container, such as a roll-out cart, includes a body portion and a lid. The body portion includes an outer wall extending upward from a base wall to a mouth of the body portion. The lid is secured to the body portion and pivotable between a closed position over the mouth and an open position. The lid includes an upper lid portion and a lower lid portion. The upper lid portion extends downward to an outer lip. The lower lid portion extends downward to an inner lip. The inner lip is inward of the outer wall of the body portion when the lid is in the closed position. The outer lip is outward of the outer wall of the body when the lid is in the closed position.

Dual compartment wastebaskets with two detachable containers are disclosed, one of which may be marked for recycling. The detachable containers may be connected together with clips, magnets and the like, allowing for easy separation to empty them. In certain embodiments, mechanical alignment means, such as opposing channels, steps or frames, may be used.

The disclosure relates to a method and a device for collecting garbage. The method includes acquiring a garbage type of garbage to be collected; determining a garbage collector for recycling garbage of the garbage type; and controlling the garbage collector to output a first prompt message to prompt a user to put the garbage to be collected into the garbage collector.

Waste chute devices and methods for using the same are provided. In some embodiments, a method for operating waste chutes comprises: receiving, using a hardware processor of a waste chute device, an identity associated with a user of the waste chute device; in response to receiving the identity associated with the user, allowing, using the hardware processor, a door of the waste chute device to be opened; determining, using the hardware processor, a number of items and at least one type associated with the items that have been placed in an opening of the waste chute device; determining, using the hardware processor, that the door of the waste chute device has been closed; updating, using the hardware processor, information associated with the user based on the number of items and the at least one type of items that have been placed in the opening of the waste chute device; and providing, using the hardware processor, the user with the updated information.

In a method for guiding and/or instructing in a feed-in station of a material conveying system, the feed-in station includes at least one first input point and at least one second input point, which input points each include at least one input aperture and a shut-off part of the input aperture, which shut-off part is movable between a first position in which the input aperture is at least partly closed, in which case material is not intended to be fed from the input aperture to inside the input point, and a second position in which the input aperture is open, in which second position material can be fed from the input aperture to inside the input point. The first input point and/or the second input point is adapted to include an indicator and/or signal, with which in the method a user is guided and/or instructed to feed in material from the input aperture of the second input point of the feed-in station, when the first input point is in a state in which it cannot receive material. An input point arrangement is used in the method.

Embodiments relate generally to waste receptacles and more particularly to smart waste receptacles capable of identifying waste. A waste receptacle may identify waste using machine vision and perform a task in response to identifying the waste. In an embodiment, the smart waste receptacle may instruct a user to direct the waste to one of a plurality of waste bins based on a category of the waste. In an embodiment, the smart waste receptacle may place an order to replenish the stock of a product based on the identification of waste. In an embodiment, the smart waste receptacle is created by attaching a smart device to a standard waste receptacle.