Case Study
Soft Plastics, E‑Waste & Vape Diversion — A Hidden Waste Crisis
35%
100M+
$100M+
2-3 SECONDS
♻️Only 35% of New Zealand’s total waste is recycled, one of the lowest per-capita recycling rates in the world.
🐢 Millions of marine animals die each year due to plastic pollution contaminating oceans and coastlines.
💰Government spends every year on recycling systems and waste recovery, yet landfill rates continue to climb.
⏱ Just 2–3 seconds is all it takes to decide what bin to use, and often, it's the wrong one.
Why People Don’t Recycle
People were asked why they find it hard to recycle
Behavioral research reveals key barriers:
-
🚫 Inconvenience or lack of access
-
❓ Uncertainty on recyclables
-
⏳ Perceived time
-
🧠 Forgetfulness
-
💰 Cost
-
🌱 A sense that “it doesn’t matter”
-
🤷 My efforts won’t change anything
These everyday hurdles lead to quick but costly mistakes, undermining recycling efforts at scale.
A Waste Epidemic:
1. Soft Plastics & Single use batteries
As part of our market research in March 2021, we surveyed 387 Kiwis, mixed genders, aged 18–85, across Auckland CBD and North Shore. The results revealed alarming disposal habits:
-
🛍 92% still discard soft plastics in landfill bins.
-
🔋 97% throw household batteries into general waste, risking toxic leaks and potential fires.
2. The Vape Problem: A Growing Hazard
Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries, and improper disposal is increasingly causing fires in recycling trucks.
-
🔥Auckland experienced nine rubbish / recycling truck fires in Q1 2024, often sparked by vape-related lithium batteries.
-
📉 In the UK, over 8.2 million vapes are improperly thrown out or recycled every week, roughly 13 per second.
%20(9).png)
Bin++ Solution
1. Closing the Decision Gap
Bin++ Smart Bins are purpose-built to divert high-risk waste — like e-waste and soft plastics, empowering circularity.
-
📸 Computer vision detects and classifies waste items
-
🚑 Reduce fire risks in collection trucks and facilities
-
📊 Track insights and reduce contamination in real time
-
⚡ Instant feedback educates users and reinforces good habits
%20(8).png)
%20(10).png)
2. Immediate Benefits & Long-Term Impact
By building dedicated, intelligent bins and guiding user behavior, Bin++ removes the guesswork and the hazard, from everyday waste.
-
🗂️ E-Waste: Dedicated compartments for batteries and vape products
-
♻️ Diversion: Keep recyclables and hazardous waste out of landfills
-
🌍 Behavior Shift: Guide users in real time to make smarter disposal choices
-
📈 Actionable Insights: Enable smarter sustainability strategies through data
%20(11).png)
E-waste is one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing waste streams. In 2017 alone, the country generated nearly 99,000 tonnes, yet over 97,000 tonnes went straight to landfill. This highlights a critical gap, and a major opportunity for smarter, targeted diversion.
%20(13).png)
Let’s Rethink Waste, Together.
Whether you’re a policymaker, sustainability leader, or curious citizen, we’d love to collaborate. Explore how Bin++ can help you or your organization drive real-world impact.