Design of an IoT Intelligent Container for the Detection and Classification of Recyclable Waste using OpenCV

The effects of global warming and the proliferation of diseases are increasing with the accumulation of solid waste, often usable waste such as plastic, paper and cardboard or glass, which are usually collected by district municipalities through garbage trucks. Despite the existence of these means, there is a deficiency in the collection and management of garbage containers, either due to economic issues or access. The present research performs a design of an intelligent container that allows the collection of garbage by identifying this usable waste using artificial vision (OpenCV) and proximity sensors, SIM800L SMS alert modules and NEO-6M GPS location to inform the competent authorities about the location of the container. An average accuracy of 88.5% was obtained in detecting the materials with an internet image database. The proposed system can be taken as a reference for the implementation of containers in smart cities, allowing the use of recyclable waste along with the reduction of pollution and proliferation of diseases.