A method comprises emitting detection radiation into a container; receiving a reflection of the emitted radiation from contents of the container; interpreting the received reflection to determine the contents of the container.

A sanitary product disposal container includes a container housing having a movable housing top cover, a movable housing bottom cover, and a sensor. A cover actuating mechanism may operably engage the housing top cover to actuate the housing top cover between open and closed positions. The sensor may operably interface with the cover actuating mechanism to facilitate deployment of the housing top cover between the open and closed positions responsive to sensing the presence of a person in proximity to the container housing. Accordingly, a used feminine hygiene product may be placed in the interior space of the container housing in the open position of the housing top cover without having to touch the container housing in order to open the housing top cover. The housing bottom cover may be selectively opened to facilitate removal of the used feminine hygiene products from the interior space.

Techniques are described for correlating entity identification information with refuse containers being serviced by a refuse collection vehicle (RCV). Location data can be collected by location sensor(s) on the RCV at a time when a triggering condition is present, such as a time when a lift arm is operating to empty a refuse container into the hopper of the RCV. The location data can be provided as input to an algorithm that estimates a container location through a vector offset to account for the distance and direction of the RCV lift arm relative to the location sensor in the RCV. The container location can be correlated with parcel data to determine the parcel that the container was on or near to when it was serviced, and the customer or other entity associated with the parcel can be correlated to the particular container based on the analysis.

A detector is configured to be mounted to a container. The detector has a housing and a mounting arrangement for mounting the housing to a container. A sensor arrangement includes a sensor to monitor the container and to generate a sensor output signal in response to a sensed container event. A processor executes a machine learning algorithm trained to determine a class of the sensed container event for determining occupancy of the container from the sensor output signal, where the control system is configured to provide an output based on the class of sensed container event determined by the machine learning algorithm.

A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, a vehicle body supported by the chassis, a lift assembly, and a projector. The vehicle body defines a receptacle for storing refuse. The lift assembly is configured to selectively engage a waste container. The lift assembly is movable between a first position and a second position. The projector is positioned to emit light outwardly away from the refuse vehicle and proximate the lift assembly to define a target area.

A waste management system comprises a waste bin storing waste, wherein the waste bin comprises a smart waste bin sensor device installed on the waste bin of a waste bin owner. The smart waste bin sensor device comprises a set of sensors that sends and receives signals through a wireless network to a cloud server. The set of sensors implements, operates, detects, measures, and monitors environmental conditions inside or outside the waste bin. A waste and litter sensor detects, measures, and monitors a waste type, a waste volume, a litter type, a litter level, a biohazardous waste type, and a biohazardous waste level. A pathogen biosensor detects, measures, and monitors a pathogen type and a biosafety level. The pathogen biosensor comprises a sterilizer to kill pathogens. A waste bin mobile application and a waste collection facility application functionality enable a user to monitor waste in the waste bin.

A trash can includes an induction actuated cover being actuated to move between a closed position and an opened position in response to an object, an actuation module being activated at one of an operation mode and a setting mode, and an adjustable detection distance arrangement. At the operation mode, the induction actuated cover is moved from the closes position to the opened position when the object is detected above an induction window within a detection range at a preset detection distance. The adjustable detection distance arrangement is arranged to store a desired detection distance at the setting mode. The desired detection distance is selectively adjusted from the induction window and is defined as a distance of the object placed above the induction window. The desired detection distance is stored to replace the preset detection distance for actuating the induction actuated cover at the operation mode.

The trash can includes a can member, a fastener member for fixing a trash bag's opening, a hoist member, and a thermal sealing member mounted on the can member. The fastener member is detachably embedded in the thermal sealing member, the hoist member engages the thermal sealing member into vertical movement. The can member is also configured with a pump element, a sensor element, a power element, and a controller element. The trash bag is stretched open on the fastener member. The pump element draws air out of the can member and the trash bag is automatically expanded. The sensor element detects that the trash bag has expanded and the pump element stops pumping. The hoist member moves the fastener member upward to further expand the trash bag. The thermal sealing member automatically shrinks and seals the opening of the trash bag.

A residue-compacting container with disinfection system is described that includes a vertically displaceable structure, a lid and a bag, the structure comprising a chassis internally supporting a sealed container and has, vertically fixed on both sides, a lower lateral structure; two lower lateral structures, each formed by cylinders, a steel cable, a spring and a telescopic pipe; two upper lateral structures with a handle; and a sealed container formed by a lower cylindrical body and an upper cylindrical body; the container lid is located over the chassis and moves along the two upper lateral structures, has a hermetic sealing resin and contains mechanical elements for sterilizing and compacting the residues contained inside a bag, which is located inside the sealed container.

A recycling identification container, including a main body, including a first section to store at least one trash item therein, a second section connected to the first section to store at least one recycle item therein, and a divider disposed between at least a portion of the first section and the second section to separate the first section from the second section, a cover unit removably connected to at least a portion of a first end of the main body to cover an interior of the main body, and an identification scanner disposed on and within at least a portion of the main body to scan properties of at least one item based on a predetermined algorithm to determine whether the at least one item is at least one of the at least one recycle item and the at least one trash item.