Waste is a huge problem around the world. One way to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and our oceans is to segregate waste. Segregated waste can further be used to provide profitable deliverables. Though waste segregation provides so many benefits, it is not practiced everywhere and, in few places, the hectic work of waste segregation is either done by rag pickers or garbage collectors.

The use of conventional practices involving manual segregation of waste is not an ideal solution as it results in health problems and higher cost of segregation, disposal, and transportation of waste. An innovative technology can be used to segregate waste.

Trashcon is a Bengaluru based start-up which enables de-centralized municipal solid waste segregation using a semi-automatic Municipal Solid Waste[MSW] Segregator. The MSW Segregator segregates any kind of mixed waste into Biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste components. The name given to the MSW segregator is Trashbot.

Trashbot is 98% accurate in segregating MSW. It is a semi-automatic machine designed user-friendly.

A sequence of mechanical operations placed in a compact way does the trick of segregation. First, the waste is sent to a section called hopper where a shredder is used to shred the waste. The shredder used is an all in one shredder which has the potential to shred different types of waste. The main separation process is done by a pneumatic separator which uses air as a medium of separation where the air is pumped at an optimized pressure and separation takes place due to the density gradient between biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. the segregated waste is collected on different sides of the machine.

Trashcon provides the machine with a capacity ranging from 500kg/day to 10ton/day which can be run for 5-10hours/day. This wide range of capacity helps in using Trashbot to segregate waste in apartments, educational institutions, and municipal corporations.

Trashcon makes a profit by selling the segregated waste. Biodegradable waste can be used for composting and efficient waste to energy conversion. Whereas the non-biodegradable shredded mixed waste can be used in making composites, reinforcements and the shredded plastic can be mixed with bitumen to lay roads.

Trashcon can help in providing technology for waste management and also make a profit out of it.

Image – Pexels