A storage receptacle can include a storage bin and a pedal mounted to the receptacle as well as a hopper. A method of using the storage receptacle can include receiving a force on a hopper handle of a hopper of a storage receptacle, the hopper having a cable connection point connected to a cable, based on the force, rotating the hopper to enable a user to place material in a storage bin of the storage receptacle, wherein the rotating causes the cable to have slack and preventing the cable having the slack from coming out of a groove in a pulley via a shroud positioned over at least a portion of the pulley.

A storage receptacle can include a storage bin and a pedal mounted to the receptacle. The pedal can rotate downward when pressure is applied in order to pull on a first cable coupled to the pedal. The first cable is connected to a spring, and the spring is connected to a second cable. The second cable connects the spring to a door via an upper pulley of the receptacle. The second cable causes the door to open when the second cable is pulled based on force applied to the pedal. A bottom pulley can be coupled to the pedal via the first cable and configured to translate an upward pull of the first cable to a downward pull of the spring and second cable. The spring controls the motion of the door such that the door does not open too quickly upon a force being applied to the pedal.

A mobile cart that holds a bag for receiving solid waste generated during a medical or surgical procedure. The cart includes a sensor that monitors whether or not an object containing metal is placed in the bag. A processor monitors the signal output by the sensor. If the sensor signal indicates that an object with a minimal amount of metal is placed in the bag, the processor momentarily asserts an audible alarm and continuously asserts a light alarm. The light alarm remains asserted until turned off. If, while the light alarm is on, the sensor signal indicates a second object with the minimal amount of waste is placed in the container, the processor again momentarily asserts the audible alarm. This provides notice that it may be necessary to investigate the contents of the bag to determine if not one but two or more objects were inadvertently discarded.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for controlling electrically-powered trash receptacles and monitoring fullness levels. The system can include a storage enclosure and a bin contained inside the storage enclosure, the bin configured to receive and store items deposited in the storage enclosure, wherein an inside portion of the bin is at least partially covered by a bag placed inside the bin to hold the items deposited in the storage enclosure. The system can also include a sensor configured to sense a content fullness state of the bin and a processor configured to control operations performed by the sensor. In addition, the system can include a sleeve configured to be installed over an inside portion of the bin and the bag, the sleeve at least partially restricting a movement of the bag.

A mobile cart that holds a bag for receiving solid waste generated during a medical or surgical procedure. The cart includes a sensor that monitors whether or not an object containing metal is placed in the bag. A processor monitors the signal output by the sensor. If the sensor signal indicates that an object with a minimal amount of metal is placed in the bag, the processor momentarily asserts an audible alarm and continuously asserts a light alarm. The light alarm remains asserted until turned off. If, while the light alarm is on, the sensor signal indicates a second object with the minimal amount of waste is placed in the container, the processor again momentarily asserts the audible alarm. This provides notice that it may be necessary to investigate the contents of the bag to determine if not one but two or more objects were inadvertently discarded.

Metal tableware articles are separated from trash as the trash is deposited into a trash container through a removable cover having brackets supporting a shaft of a magnetic bar assembly for rotation on a horizontal axis. The shaft is rotated from outside the cover by an axially movable rotatable pin having a knob on its outer end and extending through the side wall of the cover for releasably engaging one end of the shaft. When the knob and pin are retracted axially, the bar assembly may be lowered from the cover for cleaning. The bar assembly has axially spaced magnetic plate units each having a pair of generally triangular metal plates with flat corner surfaces and with a panel of magnetic material of the same shape sandwiched between the plates. The bar assembly is spaced above the bottom surface of the cover for protection of the bar assembly.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for controlling electrically-powered trash receptacles and monitoring fullness levels. The system can include a storage enclosure and a bin contained inside the storage enclosure, the bin configured to receive and store items deposited in the storage enclosure, wherein an inside portion of the bin is at least partially covered by a bag placed inside the bin to hold the items deposited in the storage enclosure. The system can also include a sensor configured to sense a content fullness state of the bin and a processor configured to control operations performed by the sensor. In addition, the system can include a sleeve configured to be installed over an inside portion of the bin and the bag, the sleeve at least partially restricting a movement of the bag.

A waste sorting system uses various sensors to automatically determine whether a piece of waste is recyclable, and to dispense the waste into an appropriate waste bin of a multi-bin device, at least one of which is a recyclable waste bin. The system also uses sensors to determine a type of the waste, and it causes a display device or speaker to output information about the type of waste.

A storage receptacle can include a storage bin and a pedal mounted to the receptacle as well as a hopper. A method of using the storage receptacle can include receiving a force on a hopper handle of a hopper of a storage receptacle, the hopper having a cable connection point connected to a cable, based on the force, rotating the hopper to enable a user to place material in a storage bin of the storage receptacle, wherein the rotating causes the cable to have slack and preventing the cable having the slack from coming out of a groove in a pulley via a shroud positioned over at least a portion of the pulley.

Systems and methods for operating a system. The methods comprise: generating sensor data by at least one sensor of a waste receptacle that specifies at least one characteristic of at least one item; performing operations by the waste receptacle to identify first media content that is associated with the at least one characteristic of the at least one item; causing the first media content to be output from the waste receptacle or an external device when the first media content is identified by the waste receptacle; and selecting second media content different from the first media content and causing the second media content to be output from the waste receptacle or the external device, when the first media content is unable to be identified by the waste receptacle.