Building an effective waste management solution
The grand finale of Banglalink Ennovators 3.0, held on November 2, 2019, selected three best ideas for a smart city and digital business solutions. Rafid Zaman Khan and Rafsan Yead Prottoy from Dhaka University, along with Antara Raisa Khan and Tasmiah Rahman from Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), formed Team Last Minute, the first runners-up of the competition. They came up with a smart solution to tackle Dhaka's waste management problems.
As Dhaka is faced with the lack of a proper system and inefficient workforce when it comes to waste management, Team Last Minute introduced the idea of the 'Smart Bin', an AI-based technology installed in garbage cans to sort out different kinds of waste. Organic, chemical and non-organic waste can be recycled or reused. To that end, the team plans to group the different kinds of waste and sell them to different industries for recycling.
"When we calculated an estimated price for each kind of waste, we were shocked to see the numbers. We had no idea that waste can be so profitable for businesses," shares Antara Raisa Khan.
For the final round, the team created a prototype and presented the 'Smart Bin', proving that their initiative is feasible. "Building the prototype was a big challenge. We were the only team to create such an example," adds Rafid. The internet and digital assistance are necessary for maintaining such bins efficiently, and that is where Banglalink comes in.
"Banglalink's interactive sessions helped us to bond with each other and get comfortable with working together," says Tasmiah. The teammates are happy to have found each other and hope to be lifelong friends.
With the assistance of Banglalink and the Government of Bangladesh, these four young minds aim to turn their project into a reality for a better and greener Dhaka.
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