The Eurecat technology centre and La Hormiga Verde, a special employment centre committed to the circular and social economy, have embarked on a partnership for sensorising containers used to collect Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
The project seeks to streamline the logistics and security of the micro recycling facilities run by La Hormiga Verde and is part of the Digital Innovation Hubs Support Programme (PADIH) funded by the European Union under Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
The solution Eurecat and La Hormiga Verde are working on will include designing a sensor system equipped with Internet of Things (IoT) technology to identify overfilling and prevent container theft to improve operational efficiency and cut transport and management costs.
“The initiative will enable us to enhance the e-waste collection process by working with suppliers such as schools where we install our micro recycling centre to automatically identify when the container is full plus incidents such as theft of material,” says Ignacio García, manager of La Hormiga Verde.
So “we are going to use recovered items or materials manufactured in our company, both plastic wood for the frame and reused power banks to power the electronics.”
“The project is in line with Eurecat’s mission to deliver technological solutions which help small and medium-sized enterprises to go digital and transform their sustainability, productivity and differentiation,” adds Joan Recasens, Eurecat’s Green Cities & Industries Business Developer.
The initiative will be rolled out in a two-step process involving an initial stage of analysis and technical advice followed by implementing a proof-of-concept. As a technology centre, Eurecat will bring its expertise in advanced sensors and product design.
The project will culminate with the presentation of a functional prototype that will lay the foundations for potential mass production. The prototype will be set up in two schools to engage students and raise their awareness of the significance of recycling.
