This clever trashcan gives you free wi-fi everytime you throw your garbage in it
In addition to not having enough toilets, there is another major problem people encounter all over India: litter. It’s so ubiquitous that most walls on Indian roads have warnings that threaten fines for anyone who spins, underneath which there are usually plenty of spit stains. Our roads are often overflowing with plastic bottles, food wrappers and leftover food. And the main problem is, with so much garbage everywhere, why should any start actually using dustbins, presuming there are any around?
Two inventors form Mumbai, concerned about the basic Indian approach towards garbage disposal (find an empty spot and dump) have attempted to come up with a solution that encourages you to throw trash in the bin. Raj Desai and Pratik Agarwal, co-founder and director of Thinkscream, an internet-focused startup, came up with an idea to develop the “Wi-Fi Trashbin”. This is a high-tech dustbin which flashes a Wi-Fi passcode every time garbage is disposed into it. All you need is to dump your trash in it and get rewarded with free internet. The user can use the code to get access to free Wi-Fi throughout the day.
With the aim of providing access to new-age technology, the duo has been featured as finalists of CNN IBN’s Networked India, a new initiative from Ericsson that seeks to identify and reward young Indian minds. In this video by Networked India, Desai describes the idea of giving people free Wi-Fi for cleaning the area around them. Pratik adds the use of new technology is more efficient in making people more socially aware.
While the idea could very easily be replicated in many other places, the question remains whether in real life people will end up using it the way it has been envisioned.