Designing, testing, and constructing a fully-functional, at-home recycling machine prototype

This research project will investigate the four essential steps to constructing a prototype of a fully-functional, at-home recycling machine: (1) sorting/identification of approved plastics, (2) shredding, (3) decontaminating; and (4) assembling all of the preceding functions into a single, at-home recycling machine.
The goal is to reimagine and rework the traditional recycling supply chain by having the recycling of eligible plastics performed in the home in a self-contained, multi-functioned unit, slightly larger than a dishwasher.
The expected benefits of the project for Recircle Waste Management Systems is additional research and testing of each of the technologies that go into plastics recycling, from sorting/rejecting to decontamination; as well as prototyping all of those functions in a single machine that can eventually be installed in the average home.

Intern: 
Adam Starr
Faculty Supervisor: 
Adel Merabet
Province: 
Nova Scotia
Sector: 
Partner University: 
Discipline: