DEVELOPMENT OF

AUTOMATED
SENSORED WASTE
SORTING MACHINE
USING ARDUINO
UNO (AERO)

RESEARCHERS:
Jenilyn Abog
Angelica Magboo
Gleceria Magboo
Banessa Masangkay

0
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the background of the study, objectives of the

study, significance of the study as well as the scope and delimitation of the

study.

Background of the Study

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is increasing globally, due to the

extraordinary rate of urbanization and material consumption, people in both

developed and developing nations are disposing of increasing amounts of

domestic garbage. The world generates now more than 2 billion tons of MSW

annually, expected to increase by 70% to 3.4 billion metric tons by 2050.

China, the world's most populous nation, has the largest share of global MSW

at more than 15% of total global waste, with USA second with 12%. Most

countries witnessed in the last years a municipal solid waste crisis.

Landfill disposal, where people occupy areas of land for their

waste, is one of the common ways to get rid of rubbish. This suggests

that their garbage is being dumped in a public place, harming the health

of the populace as well as the land, air, and water resources. This

practice frequently leads to draining jams, stagnant water that

encourages bug breeding, flooding during the rainy season, and insects

that carry various diseases. In addition, burning trash is a popular

method of waste disposal, which has negative impacts on both human

health and the environment, including air pollution that contributes to

global warming.

As the country’s population rises, solid waste creation in the

Philippines is still a major issue. Although technology plays a significant part

1
in controlling the solid waste, rethinking the situation will lead to better

results. (Paz et al., 2020).

An estimated 2.01 billion tons of municipal solid trash are generated

each year, 33% of this garbage is incorrectly disposed of and is not

environmentally friendly, while 20% of this waste is recycled and composed

(World Bank,2020). According to predictions, the amount of solid garbage

produced worldwide will rise to 70% by 2050 (Industry Druve, 2020).

Industrialization and an increase in living standards have led to the

generation of impressive amount of waste that, unfortunately, affect the

environment through climate change through their negative impact on fauna

and flora and, ultimately, through their impact on our health (Environmental

Defense Fund, 2021).

Solid waste management is considered a pressing global issue calling

for an immediate response from the government and its people. The

Philippines has a continuously rising amount of waste and is expected to

further increase in the succeeding years. As reviewed, associated problems

with solid waste management in the country include an increasing amount of

solid waste, weak law implementation, scarcity of sanitary landfills, and

improper disposal. The ultimate solution existing in the country is the RA

9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 which

highlights the practices of segregation, proper disposal, and waste diversion.

The importance of envisioning a trash-free Philippines and encouraging

people’s participation and awareness is also emphasized. Another possible

solution to solid waste management is valorisation which can also address

other environmental problems such as the depletion of natural resources.

These solutions enumerated will only be possible with the presence of good

governance, active participation of the people of the country, and the

2
cooperation of all constituents and agencies in the Philippines (Literacy

Institute, 2021).

Solid waste management remains a major problem for the Philippines

mostly due to the mismanagement of waste segregation at the local level.

Despite the enactment of Republic act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste

Management of 2000 that mandates segregation at the Barangay level, some

local units (LGUs) have yet to strictly enforce the law (Jim Sampulna, 2022).

The solid waste management act of, or RA 9003, is a good law,

according to DENRs Jonas Leones. Waste-to-energy initiatives, for example

are already in use in other nations, according to Leones. However, such

technology has yet to be approved in the Philippines, which, he claims, has

been experiencing an alarming increase in rubbish generation as a result of

the ongoing health crisis, with medical wastes in particular piling up (Pilar,

2021).

The fact that the basic policy for good waste management should be

centered around the 3rs (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) principle is very well-

known. Mainly, attention should be paid to reducing the amounts of waste,

before generating them, and then trying to reuse them or, if this is not

possible, selectively collecting them or recycling (Eurostat, 2020).

The rate of municipal solid waste liberation is directly proportional to

the rises in the economic status of a country. Inappropriate and incorrect

methods of managing municipal solid waste through open dumping and

burning and unsafe landfilling result in various ecological issues like

depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, health defects in humans and

other living beings, environmental damages, overexploitation, and depletion

of resources (Vyas et al., 2022).

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 In Municipality of Baco, the difficulty in segregation of wastes may

not be as huge as the other cities but it is as challenging as them. This is being

proven by the clogged canals in the sidewalks of the road and during the

floods every time there is a typhoon. Plastic wastes, straws, diapers, and more

non-biodegradable wastes are everywhere in our sights during these times

which proves that our municipality is doing poorly in terms of waste

segregation. As a result, it is suggested that this study provide a solution to

this issue.

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 Objectives of the Study

General Objectives

This study aims to develop an Automated Sensored Waste Sorting

Machine using Arduino.

Specific Objectives

Specifically, this study aimed to:

1. Measure AERO’s effectiveness in terms of:

1.1. Segregating wastes into categories

1.2. Response time

1.3. User satisfaction

2. Measure AERO’s efficiency in terms of:

2.1. Number of wastes segregated.

2.2. Environmentally friendly

3. Estimate the cost of developing automated sensored waste sorting machine.

4. Gather comments and suggestions for the improvement of the product.

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Significance of the Study

The result of this study will be beneficial to the following:

School- This will give the staff, students, and teachers a tool to use in

Proper waste segregation and disposal.

Teachers- This will help the teachers in terms of raising awareness to

the students on the proper waste segregation and disposal.

Students- This will serve as a reminder to them that they should be

disciplined enough in throwing their garbage’s on the right bin.

Future researchers- Future researchers may find this suggested

study useful as a roadmap for their work in the future. And it will increase the

researcher's expertise and understanding, which will be beneficial for future

parallel research projects.

Community- This will help them to have a reliable automated

sensored waste sorting machine that is helpful in maintaining a clean

community and keeping wastes segregated properly.

Industry- This will help them explore more of this product and

improve more to be more reliable and helpful on the entire community.

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Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The efficacy of AERO in terms of waste segregation, reaction time,

user satisfaction and efficiency in terms wastes was segregation, placing the

wastes one at a time and not in great volume is the only topics covered in this

study. This research focuses on the product's efficacy and efficiency, as well

as its advantages and disadvantages. Thirty-five (35) Baco Community

College Students, ten (10) Baco Community College Instructors, thirty-five

(35) other Municipality workers participated in the study.

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 CHAPTER II

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This chapter presents the review of related literature and studies, the

conceptual model of the study and the definition of terms used in the study.

Review of Related Literature and Studies

Some literature and studies had been reviewed but only those which

are directly relevant to the present study are presented.

Related Literature

Local Literature

As noted by Atienza, V. (2011) in his article entitled “Review of the

Waste Management System in the Philippines: Initiatives to Promote Waste

Segregation and Recycling through Good Governance,” stated that using the

experiences of some selected case studies, it illustrates the potentials and

benefits of recycling both in addressing the waste management problems and

in alleviating poverty. This paper concludes that good governance through the

participation of various stakeholders, strong awareness campaigns, and

promotion and replication of innovative and appropriate technologies are

necessary to achieve waste management and sustainable recycling industry.

This citation demonstrated that utilizing and inventing technology such as

Automated trash sorting machine would be beneficial in addressing the

problem of proper segregation.

According to Flores et al. (2019) in their article “Literature Review of

Automated Waste Segregation System using Machine Learning: A Complete

Analysis,” garbage may be sorted in a variety of ways and forms. Image

processing may be used to analyse and categorize rubbish, which can be a

very productive means of treating waste materials. Waste classification and

segregation are extremely beneficial in a variety of settings, including history,

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the home, business, and, of course, education. Utilizing today’s technology

for sorting rubbish and selecting which should be recycled can be incredibly

effective garbage-handling procedures. This statement encouraged the

researchers to create an Automated garbage sorting system and use it in their

research.

Coracero, E. E. wrote an article. (2021), titled “A Long-Standing

Problem: Review on the Solid Waste Management in the Philippines,” noted

that the Philippines has a continually increasing volume of garbage, which is

likely to expand further in the coming years. As previously discussed, linked

concerns with solid waste management in the country include a rising volume

of solid waste, poor legislation, and implementations, a shortage of sanitary

landfills, and improper disposal. rising amount of waste and is expected to

further increase in the succeeding years. As reviewed, associated problems

with solid waste management in the country include an increasing amount of

solid waste, weak law, implementation, scarcity of sanitary landfills, and

improper disposal. This motivates the researchers to develop an autonomous

rubbish sorting system that may be utilized in schools and communities to aid

in waste disposal.

Aquino, A. P. (2022)’s article “Ecological solid Waste Management

Act: Environmental Protection through proper solid waste practice,” the

disposal of garbage crisis can be avoided by practicing waste identification

and segregation at the source, proper collection and transfer, recycling and

composting as required by law, while being also aware of the consequences

of improper management. Thus, this statement proves that waste crisis would

be avoided if the citizens would be more aware of segregating wastes

properly.

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Foreign Literature

Patil et al. (2017) stated in their work titled “Implementation of

Automatic Waste Segregator at Household Level,” sensors are used to

identify and separate garbage. The microcontroller oversees all sensor

activities. The results showed garbage classification into metal, moist and dry

waste. This article demonstrated how employing a sensor device can aid

researchers in designing a product that will classify garbage as biodegradable

or non-biodegradable.

According to the paper “IoT-based Automated Waste segregator” by

Lopes et al. (2019), waste segregation at the household level is the need of the

hour because separating garbage at the disposal site is laborious and typically

unsuccessful. The paper recommends removing human participation from

trash segregation operations while ensuring proper waste separation with

minimal effort. One of the studies will look at the product’s efficacy in terms

of segregation.

It was cited on the article written by Mahesh et al. (2022) entitled

“Conceptual Design and Development of Automated Waste Segregator,”

focuses on the conceptual design and development of an automatic trash

segregator machine that uses a parallel resonant impedance sensing

mechanism to detect metallic objects and capacitive sensors to discriminate

between wet and dry waste. Presently, there is no sufficient access to garbage

disposal services, which influences proper waste management. Rubbish

collected is either unscientifically discarded or disposed of in water resources,

posing environmental risks. Several conceptual sketches for automatically

sorting garbage and the best concept are chosen based on the advantages and

drawbacks of the generated ideas. The current effort contributes to rubbish

10
management and segregation while protecting the environment. It also saves

time and facilitates the recycling and reuse processes. As a result, this remark

demonstrates that trash segregation machines are vital since they will assist

people in reducing garbage thrown everywhere.

According to Abdulla (2014)’s work “Integrated Sensor Systems and

Algorithms for Solid Waste Bin Status Management Automation,” intelligent

solid waste bins are necessary for developing an effective and dynamic waste

management system. The design and implementation of an integrated sensor

system and algorithm for solid waste bins to automate the solid waste

management process is described in this paper. Different sensing systems

have been used and connected to give detection of bin status and parameter

measurement. Numerous test runs have been conducted to assess the

functioning of the prototype system. The sensor system with the algorithm is

efficient and intelligent, and it can easily be implemented to automate any

solid waste container.

The article by Norhafiza et al. (2017) entitled “The Effectiveness of

segregation recyclable materials by Automated Motorized bin,” stated that the

adoption of the 3R method is the most significant environmental difficulty

confronting the automated isolation recycling bin. Trash processing and

recycling have been the world’s important technologies during the last two

decades in increasing the performance and efficiency of automated separation

recycling bins in industrialized nations; thus, the main issue of municipalities

in the proper management of recyclables.

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Related Studies

Local Studies

According to findings of Ang et al. (2013) entitled “Automated Waste

Sorter with Mobile Robot Delivery Waste System,” with the sensor array

approach of sorting, the spacing and location of the objects in the conveyor

belt play an essential role in determining accuracy. The results indicate that a

gap of 8 inches between the two objects is recommended for optimal sorting.

This component is critical for controlling waste flow to the sensor array. This

statement supports how the researchers would arrange the spacing and

distance of different materials to the machine since it affects the functions.

It was cited in the study of Endaya et al. (2020) entitled “Design and

Implementation of Automated Waste Segregator with Smart Compression,”

stated that the Automated Waste Segregator, designed and developed by the

proponents, was able to achieve proper waste segregation, maintaining the

quality of recyclable wastes and maximizing the capacity of the trash bin as

stated in the objectives of the study. The proponents were able to build an

Automated Waste Segregator with Smart Compression that can properly

segregate four types of waste according to the input push button along with

smart compression when the sensor detected that the paper bin or plastic bin

is already full. It was also able to notify the user if the bins are already full

through the LEDs assigned to each bin. Upon the actual testing, the

proponents concluded that the system could provide an efficient output

depending on the knowledge of user about the waste that they are going to

dispose. This study supported the researcher’s objectives to develop a waste

sorting machine which is automated, thus can properly segregate the wastes

according to the bins they are allocated.

The automated waste can

12
 It was revealed in the study of Ortaliz et al. (2020) entitled

“Automated Waste Segregation system using Trained Optical and Material

Sensors with user communication Capabilities,” can successfully segregate

waste at source. This is possible with the help of machine learning and

material sensors. This statement supports that the automated waste

segregation machine can be made and will function because of the sensors

that the researchers will use.

As cited in the study of Villamer et al. (2022) entitled “Concealed

Automated Trash Bin with Shredder for Solid Wastes,” revealed that the

prototype has performed well and achieved the necessary automation

mechanisms required. Therefore, it is evident to assert that the objective of

the study was to develop a waste system that automates the collection,

segregation, classifying, and monitoring processes at the same time on a

single system. This objective is achieved. The result of this study could be

used to call on the concerned authorities relating to waste management

sectors to consider automating their waste segregation systems to minimize

the health and environmental effects associated with waste. This supported

one of the research’s objectives that is aligned to automate a waste sorting

machine which is beneficial to minimize adverse health effects of solid

wastes problems on people and the environment in general.

13
Foreign Studies

According to findings of Minghua et al. (2009) entitled “Waste

Management,” Municipal Solid Waste creation in developing cities is driven

by population growth, economic expansion, and rising living standards. This

proves that this waste problems aren’t only happening on one country, but it

is also spreading worldwide because of several reasons.

According to Iyer, A. B. (2022)’s study entitled “Arduino Based

Automated Waste Segregator Final Year Project,” is one small step towards

building an efficient and economic waste collection system with a minimum

amount of human intervention and no hazard to human life. Using a conveyor

belt makes the system far more accurate, cost-effective, and easier to install

and use at a domestic level. Segregating all these wastes at a domestic level

will also be timesaving. While implementing our system we came across

many problems like the sensing range of inductive proximity sensor, the

accuracy of the moisture sensor, adjusting the range of IR sensors and some

more, but using some modifications we tried the make the system as reliable

as possible but not completely perfect. This statement proved that there are

factors and adjustments needed while doing the product to achieve its good

performance.

According to the study of Gimonkar, R. M. (2021) entitled

“Automated Waste Segregator,” the development of a low-cost automated

waste separator powered by Arduino micro-controller is presented to

effectively sort waste according to its base at the household or small society

level. During the development process, the waste separator prototype control

system and sensing mechanism are integrated using an Arduino Uno

microcontroller. This supported the researchers to use Arduino for prototype

to sense the waste and segregate them effectively.

14
 In the study of Gupta et al. (2018) entitled “Automatic Waste

Segregation,” is designed such a way that a system which collects from

different positions and segregates the wastes. This statement supported the

researchers design on using bins and placing them in different positions to

segregate the wastes more effectively.

15
 Conceptual Model of the Study

The conceptual model which guided the researchers in the conduct of

this study are presented in Figure 1, 2 and 3.

The figure 1 presents the conceptual model in Development of

Automated Sensored Waste Sorting Machine using Arduino Uno (AERO)

The input consists of wastes and materials that would be needed to

make the product.

The process consists of the sensoring phase where the waste should

be placed. The output consists of the wastes segregated into two

categories and the developed product.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

 Wastes/trash

 Arduino

 Inductive

sensor  Segregated
 Waste
wastes into
 Power supply segregation
two
 Motors - Biodegradable categories
 Developed
 Moisture -Non-biodegradable device.
sensor

 Ultrasonic

sensor

FEEDBACK

Figure 1. Conceptual Model in the Process of Separating Waste into two

Categories

16
 The figure 2 presents the conceptual model in Evaluating the

Automated sensored Waste Sorting Machine using Arduino Uno (AERO)

The input consists of the evaluation, respondents that the researcher

needs for the evaluation of the product.

The process consists of retrieval of the evaluation and analysing and

interpreting the gathered data from the respondents.

The output consists of the evaluated efficiency and effectivity level

of the product.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

 Evaluation  Administratio  Evaluated

- Interview n and AERO
and retrieval of  Evaluated
Questionnair the efficiency
es Evaluation and
 Respondents Questionnaire effectivity
 35 students s level.
 10 teachers  Statistical
from Baco Treatment of
Community Data
College  Analysis and
 35 other staff Interpretation
from the of Data
Municipality
Produced
-automated
waste sorting
machine

Figure 2. Evaluation of Automated Sensored waste sorting Machine Using

Arduino

17
 The figure 3 presents the process flow of the Automated sensored

Waste Sorting Machine using Arduino Uno (AERO)

The process contains the physical hardware of the product, such as

the sensors, 2 bins and the trash /wastes that will proceed to the designated

bins.

Start

Input/Waste

Ultra-Sonic Sensor

Wait for 5 seconds. Wait for 5 seconds.

Paper Detected Plastic Detected

PVC pipe rotates PVC pipe rotates

45˚ to the right. 45˚ to the left.

To Biodegradable To Non-
Bin Biodegradable bin

Figure 3. Presents the process flow of the Automated sensored waste sorting

machine in two categories.

18
\

The figure 4 presents the process flow of making the Automated

Sensored Waste Sorting Machine using Arduino Uno (AERO)

Attach all the Create

Start plywood to turn partition.
into frame

Make a torque at the Create holes to the

Attach the servo motor
gate that will hold the partition to insert the
to the partition and to
wastes when it is PVC
the radial bearing
detecting

Place the Inductive proximity

sensor, detector sensor, ultrasonic
sensor and moisture sensor to the Attach the Arduino Uno to
frame the back of the frame

The wires and jump wires

were attached to the PCV
bored by soldering them.

The LED display was

placed at the top of the
black box.

Figure 4. Presents the process flow of making the Automated sensored waste

sorting machine.

19
Definition of Terms Used in the Study

To better understanding of this study, the following terms were

defined operationally.

Arduino- is a microcontroller board.

Biodegradable- wastes that can be broken down e.g., paper.

Conveyer Belt- is used to roll the wastes to the dust bins.

Inductive Proximity Sensor- is used to distinguish Ferrite waste

from non-metallic waste.

LCD Display- it displays if the wastes are categorized as Bio, Non-

bio.

Machine- device that makes work easier.

Moisture Sensor- is used to detect moist/wet waste.

Non-biodegradable- wastes that can’t be recycled e.g., plastics.

Sensor- a device which detects or measures a physical property and

indicates.

Servo Motor- is used to drive the joints.

Ultra-sonic Sensor- used to detect the distance of the object.

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 CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

This chapter focuses on the discussion of the research methods and procedures

adhered by the researchers. Specifically, the method used in the research, the sources of data,

the instrument and procedures in data gathering and the statistical treatment of data used for

the accurate data analysis and interpretation were explained in this chapter.

Research Method

To be able to gather necessary data for this study, the researchers utilized the

Descriptive Research design to determine the effectiveness and the durability of the

Development of Automated Sensored Waste Sorting Machine (AERO). As widely expected,

descriptive research methods generally describe qualities and features of a phenomenon or

population under study (Siedlecki, 2020). Therefore, the approach lays little emphasis on the

“why” of research and instead focuses on the “what”. It focuses on illustrating the nature of

the population being investigated without looking into why that nature is prevalent

(Colorafi& Evans, 2016). In a nutshell, the methodology explains the subject of the research

and the underlying assumptions without focusing on the rationales for their existence.

Relatively, this method is appropriate to this study since it aims to describe the effectiveness

and the durability of the Development of Automated Sensored Waste Sorting Machine

(AERO).

The technique that was used under descriptive method is the survey approach and

evaluation, which is commonly used to explore opinions of the respondents that can represent

a whole population. Survey research is defined as “a tool used by researchers to gain a greater

understanding about individual or group perspectives relative to a particular concept or topic

of interest” (Mills,2021). It typically consists of a set of structured questions where each

question is designed to obtain a specific piece of information.

21
 In terms of approach, the study employed quantitative approach whereby a

researcher poses some set of predetermined questions to an entire group, or sample, of

individual. All the data collected from the survey were then statistically analysed to draw

meaningful research conclusion.

22
Respondents of the Study

The respondent of the study is chosen directly from the population in Baco Community

College which includes students, Faculty staff/ teachers and other knowledgeable Baco

Municipal Office employees. The said participants were selected through simple random

sampling. In this type of sampling method, every member of the population has an equal

chance of being selected as a part of the sample. Meaning, this sampling method provides

opportunity to all members of the population in the Baco Community College in becoming a

research participant which considered as the most efficient sampling method.

On the other hand, to make this sampling strategy possible, the researcher has identified

what population is to be used, listed down all the members of the population and lastly,

selected the target or specific members to make the sample. Regarding this, the respondents

were given a self-administered survey questionnaire in Likert format to answer some

important questions. Herein, there were 80 participants for the questionnaire survey. The

distribution of respondents was shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Distribution of Respondents

No. Of
Respondent Groups
Respondents

Students of Baco Community College 35

Faculty Staff/ Teachers in Baco Community College 10

Baco Municipal Office employees 35

Total 80

Data Gathering Instrument

23
 In the collection of pertinent data to achieve the research objective, survey

questionnaires and interviews were to be conducted by the researchers. The survey questions

included in both the questionnaires and interviews, discussed items that will gather the chosen

population’s responses to the effectiveness and the durability of the device. To be more

specific, a self-administered questionnaire in a Likert format was to be given to a respondent

to answer. On the other hand, the conduction of the interview involved the use of semi-

structured questionnaire, which was used as an interview guide for the researcher. Some

certain questions were prepared, so as for the researcher to guide the interview towards the

satisfaction of research objectives, but additional questions were made encountered during the

interview.

The weighted mean of every statement was interpreted using the 5-point Likert

Scale system referring to the table:

Table 2

The Five-point Likert Scale

Scale Range Interpretation

5 4.01-5.00 Very Satisfied

4 3.01-4.00 Satisfied

3 2.01-3.00 Neutral

2 1.01-2.00 Dissatisfied

1 0.01-1.00 Very Dissatisfied

Scale, Range, Description

Data Gathering Procedure

24
 The questionnaires used in the survey were personally distributed and retrieved by

the researchers. The respondents were given a maximum of 3 days upon request to complete

the questionnaire. On the other hand, for the personal interview, the interviewees were given

time according to their convenience. Choices such as face to face interview, call interview, or

chat interview were given to the interviewees who answered the interview questions. After

the gathering the necessary data, the responses were to be tallied, computed, analysed, and

recorded.

Materials and Procedures

25
 All the materials and the procedures used in producing the product were presented

below:

 6mm plywood  Wires, jump wires.

 Wood screw (20 pcs)  One Inductive Sensor

 One Ultrasonic Sensor

 Nail (1/4 kilo)

 Hardener/epoxy  Moisture Sensor

 PVC 7cm  Two Servo motors

 Radial Bearing (2 pcs, 35 cm)  One Step Down Converter

 One 6V Power Supply

 One Arduino Uno

 One PCV Board  Detector Sensor

 Soldering material +equipment’s  Black box

26
0
Procedure to make the frame:
1. Attached all the plywood to turn into frame.
2. Created partition.

3. Created holes to the partition to insert the PVC.

4. Made a torque at the gate that will hold the wastes when it is detecting.

5. Attached the servo motor to the partition and to the radial bearing.

6. Placed the Inductive proximity sensor, ultrasonic sensor and moisture sensor to the frame

7. Attached the Arduino Uno to the back of the frame.

8. The wires and jump wires were attached to the PCV bored by soldering them.

9. The LED display was placed at the top of the black box.

Statistical Treatment of Data

0
 The data gathered had been tallied and were analyzed and interpreted using the

following statistical tools:

Weighted Mean- The weighted mean was computed to get the average or central

value of the responses in every statement. In this study, the weighted mean was utilized to

determine the effectiveness and durability of the Automated Sensored Waste Sorting

Machine.