Smart Reverse Vending Machine Using ESP32 for Waste Management

Abstract

Plastic waste has become one of the major environmental concerns due to its increasing accumulation in landfills and water bodies. Conventional waste collection methods often fail to encourage people to recycle recyclable materials effectively. The proposed Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) is an IoT-enabled smart recycling system designed to automate the collection of recyclable plastic bottles and metal cans while rewarding users through a coupon-based incentive mechanism. The system is built using an ESP32 microcontroller, IR sensor, metal sensor, RFID module, LCD display, buzzer, and Thing Speak cloud platform for real-time monitoring. The system is built using an ESP32 microcontroller, IR sensor, metal sensor, RFID module, LCD display, buzzer, and the Things peak cloud platform. The IR sensor detects the presence of an object, while the metal sensor identifies metallic recyclable items. The ESP32 processes the sensor data and controls the overall operation of the system. After successful validation of the recyclable item, the machine authenticates the user through RFID, generates a reward coupon, and uploads transaction details to Thing Speak for real-time monitoring. The LCD display provides status messages, and the buzzer gives audio feedback to the user. The developed prototype successfully demonstrates an efficient, low-cost, and user-friendly recycling solution that promotes environmental sustainability and supports smart waste management. When a user inserts a recyclable item, the sensors verify its validity. If accepted, the ESP32 processes the data, stores the information on the cloud, and generates a reward coupon for the user. The LCD displays the system status while the buzzer provides audio feedback. The developed prototype successfully demonstrates an efficient, low-cost, and environmentally friendly solution for waste management. The proposed system promotes recycling habits, reduces environmental pollution, and supports smart city initiatives.