Electronic waste collection systems using Internet of Things (IoT): household electronic waste management in Malaysia

Waste electric and electronic equipment or e-waste generation has been identified as a key aspect in solid waste management, though e-waste disposal in landfills is not suggested due to the toxic chemicals and heavy metals in it. The presence of valuable metals, namely precious and base metals, such as gold and copper, respectively also highlights the importance of effective waste management strategies. Even though some developed countries practice modern household e-waste management techniques, including extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, household e-waste legislative frameworks are not yet fully implemented in Malaysia. In order to support the sustainability of smarter cities concept, household e-waste needs to be efficiently managed and this work discusses the application of smart collection systems pertaining to the Malaysian e-waste management and recycling sector. A smart household e-waste collection box was designed, fitted with e-waste level measurement sensors to record the disposal data. A backend server was developed which automatically notifies and schedules e-waste collectors to dispatch and collect the e-waste when the volume of the collection box reaches a certain threshold (e.g. box is 80% filled). A mobile application was developed in this work and public end users are intended to use it to dispose their household e-waste. The smart system was successfully developed as a proof-of-concept in this work and it could be beneficial to improve the household waste consumer electronics collection in Malaysia.