IRBIN – The Intelligent Recycle Bin

Challenge

Peru generates 23,000 tons of waste every 24 hours, of which only 1.9% is recycled and the rest ends up in landfills, streets, rivers and the ocean.

Inspiration

The Peruvian congress passed a law that states that all plastic products must contain 80% recycled material. However, due to poor waste management, Peru imports 1.2 million tons of plastic waste per month to comply with this law. The wrong solution was being considered.

Idea

We developed IRBIN, the first social robot in the world that uses artificial intelligence for recycling. IRBIN is a robot that separates waste autonomously, a reliable source of waste separation that promotes an optimal ecosystem for recycling. It simplifies a complex and inefficient 12-stage process into five simple steps that connects businesses in real time, from the collector to transport to manufacturers. In addition, thanks to its machine learning system, the longer it’s in use the more it refines its material segmentation process.

Growth

With IRBIN it’s estimated that 80% of the garbage becomes sustainable material, which can be used for recycled plastic materials such as gondolas, baskets, and more. Thanks to IRBIN’s enormous reception, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Production provided support and exposure during the launch of our first prototype. By the end of 2020, the plan is to expand the IRBIN robot network in 55 Tottus stores and other companies throughout Peru.