Disclaimer:
Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.
Overview
Prepared by (Name of the experimenter)
Smart Trashcan
On date (Day/Month/Year)
22/02/2022
What action learning plan is this activity related to?
This activity is related the Action Learning Plan titled: Refining Solutions for Solid Waste Management
Design
What is the specific learning intent of the activity? Why is it important to do this experiment?
The specific intent of this activity is to learn if automatically collected data on filled trashcans with uncollected waste can be used to nudge waste collectors to collect waste timely.
What is your hypothesis? IF... THEN....
IF we develop and launch a Smart Trashcan system with behavioural change techniques, THEN we can reduce the amount of unmanaged solid waste in Lilongwe City.
Does the activity use a control group for comparison?
Yes, a different group entirely
Describe which actions, with whom, where, when will you (or did you) take to test your hypothesis:
In 2021, UNDP AccLab Malawi engaged the Physics Department team of University of Malawi to programme sensors to detect levels of waste in a trashcan and send alerts to a dashboard.
In November 2021, Lilongwe City Council identified and liaised with 2 markets and 2 schools in Lilongwe City where 4 Smart Trashcans were tested.
From December 2021 to February 2022, management of the 2 markets and 2 schools monitored usages of the Smart Trashcans.
In February 2022, members of the Accelerator Lab and Lilongwe City Council visited the four sites, observed the state of the Smart Trashcans and interviewed the custodians of the Smart Trashcans on their experiences.
If you worked with partners, please choose what sector they belong to (select all that apply)
Academia, Government (& related)
What is the total estimated monetary resources needed for this experiment?
Between 1,000 and 9,999 USD
Please upload any supporting images or visuals for this experiment.
Please upload any supporting links
Results
Was the original hypothesis (If.. then) proven or disproven? In which way do the results support the original hypothesis or not?
The original hypothesis was not proven because the device was attached to the wrong type of bins.
Secondly, the materials used to house the gadgets were not robut enough for outdoor use during rainy season.
What are the most important learning outcomes of the experiment? Are any changes recommended?
1. Current design of mounting on lids of trash cans does not effectively address the challenge since the small and portable trash cans are regularly emptied onto large skip bins. So, the refined Smart Trashcan should support skip bins. Secondly, mounting a solar panel on top of an easily accessible trash can lid makes it vulnerable to petty thieves. A proposed refinement is to redesign the smart trash can device for mounting on streetlight stands and have skip bins placed directly under the streetlights.
2. Prototype materials such as wooden casing are not robust enough to withstand harsh weather and outdoor environments especially during the rainy season. The recommendation is to use the casing of the streetlight poles to protect the gadgets from harsh weather.
3. Innovation champions at the site of deployment should be identified to safeguard and report on effectiveness of early-stage solutions.
Considering the outcomes of this experimental activity, which of the following best describe what happened after? (Please select all that apply)
This experiment did not scale yet
Please add any supporting links that describe the planning, implementation, results of learning of this activity? For example a tweet, a blog, or a report.
Learning
What were the main obstacles and challenges you encountered during this activity? What advise would you give colleagues trying to replicate this experimental activity?
Smart Trashcan devices were damaged and stolen while being tested. Of the four installed devices, three were damaged by rain, and one was vandalised and stolen.
Early-stage hardware innovations require close monitoring by the innovators or innovation champions.
11Sustainable cities and communities
12Responsible consumption and production
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