Design and Development of Green Trash Compactor for Recyclable Waste Management

Abstract

A trash compactor is a mechanical device invented to reduce the volume of trash, making it suitable for use in various scenes such as domestic, public, and industries. Utilizing this kind of machine provides significant benefits in the waste accumulation system, as it allows for more efficient waste management by compacting the trash, enabling larger quantities to be collected at once. In this study, a Green Trash Compactor is designed and developed as an innovative semi-automated machine to efficiently reduce the size and volume of recyclable materials such as plastics, paper cups, and PET bottles. The project focuses on optimizing the sensor layout to minimize the impact during the compaction process, thereby reducing the requirement for heavy load cells or weight sensors. The working output is achieved by recording different input commands through buttons, where the system employs load cells to identify the detected force, and the microcontroller makes corresponding decisions. The results indicated that the Green Trash Compactor successfully operated with its mechanical and programmed codes, demonstrating impressive volume reduction during the compaction process. This substantial reduction in volume contributes to lowering transportation costs for the trash, making the compactor a highly efficient waste management solution.