There is a need in Ottawa for a mobile app that makes recycling locally super simple, giving you specific details of where you can recycle and exactly what you can recycle. For a G7 capital, Ottawa's recycling footprint - and to a huge extent our recycling awareness - is frankly quite appalling. To think of it, you can still not easily find recycling in commercial "ready to go premium beverage" shops and other recycling heavy businesses - and that should/has to change. It is our opinion that a mobile application in this domain will offer environmentally conscious citizens greater choice and empower them to drive change/innovation in this domain and it will help convert those who are still on the edge of jumping on to the "Eco-Friendly Recycling Conscious" bandwagon.

Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iTouch, OneTouchRecycle will help Ottawa residents locate the nearest location to recycle. Whether you need to recycle a bottle of juice you just finished enjoying, or an invitation card that has already served its purpose or motor oil that you no longer want to drain down your toilet or rechargeable batteries/paint that you know will cause havoc for generations to come ... OneTouchRecycle will connect you with real, local options. Local businesses or organizations can opt in through an easy to access web and mobile interface, or an end user can add a location through their mobile device on the go to add to a database that will also be made public to create more possibilities around open data. One of the challenges currently with building such an application is the current lack of open data in this domain. It is our hope that this application would allow us to create a local comprehensive database of recycling and proper disposal locations for multiple products at the touch of a button. Even if you are eco-savvy and you want to recycle, often while you are out and about you find yourself asking, "Am I able to recycle this? If so...who around here will take it it?" It will be kind of cool that your phone will be able to answer that for you. The app will tell you not only what and where, but even the hours of operation of the location/facilities and directions on how to get there.

Mobile phone apps that help consumers make more eco-friendly choices are coming out right and left, but this application will fill a little niche that is currently unaddressed. Not only will it empower the citizens, but it will also provide a platform for local businesses and organizations that are recycling friendly to be profiled and noticed. Businesses that choose to opt in and open their recycling for folks to walk in and use will be prominently featured on the accompanying website, and will also be profiled through the mobile app. And finally, as highlighted above, the app will create another open data source that can then be released to the computing fraternity in Ottawa to build better more powerful tools/products to support our city wide recycling efforts. The power of the proposed idea/solution lies in the fact that anyone in Ottawa - an individual, an organization, a business - with any kind of recycling support can open their doors to a noble endeavor. So even if you are not able to recycle at your point of purchase or the point of consumption, your ability to walk down the street and step into a location that welcomes you to recycle would open a box of choices for folks who really do not want to be limited in their recycling choices.

The idea is currently under development at OAK Computing (www.oakcomputing.com), and post its launch in Ottawa the complete solution - in the spirit of open data and open solutions - would be made available for deployment (free of cost) to any other city across the world to borrow/share.

Comments

  1. Vahid Dabbaghi Sadr

    I believe it is a very viable solution given that having a coffee or food on the go and in disposable containers is a noticeable characteristic of consumer behaviour in all North America.

  2. Mark Hermeling

    Brilliant idea, I found myself in the local Home Depot trying to find out whether or not to recycle halogen lamps and if so, where. I still don't have an answer, so I had to pitch it.

  3. Jeff Brown

    Good idea, and I did the exact same thing with my halogen bulbs: Home Depot, no answer, throw them in their garbage pail.

    I'm not sure of the economics of waste management, but any businesses that are paying for their own disposal may be unlikely to opt in. That is, they wouldn't want to pay to dispose of recycling not coming from their products and/or customers. On the flip side, the incentive may be the advertising mentioned and the ability to attract new customers just by getting them in the door.

  4. Shekhar

    Excellent idea! Best of luck!

  5. Manu Sharma

    Mark/Jeff/Vahid, thanks a lot for the thoughtful input. All of you are bang on. We are seeking to get citizen participation for outreach and user generated content, and create an incentive for business locations to open up their locations for folks to walk in and use your recycling. We are glad that the writeup is communicating our vision behind this.

  6. Sanjiv

    Brilliant Idea, I still have my paint cans waiting to be disposed off, not sure where. An app like this would surely help. All the best!

  7. Greg Tilley

    Great idea guys! I have the same problem with paint cans - no clue what to do with them! Good luck on this one!

  8. Filip Mares

    Great idea! It can work with user contributions on locations and products(materials) to recycle being contributed to a database. However, I have a reservations as to the user actually trekking to the recycle centre. An accompanying service to pickup recyclable materials would be interesting to have in addition to the listing directory. People generally want to do good, but are lazy. Just a thought.

    Great initiative!

  9. Kara

    Yes, I am constantly wondering what and where to recycle and forget to check when I get to my computer.

    I recycled computers at Staples Business Depot they other day and it was super easy!
    Just drop it off! I want everyone to know that!

    Please make it work with ANDROID!

  10. Vahid Dabbaghi Sadr

    I believe value created by this app is three-fold, so to speak;

    1- businesses-especially those in fast food and catering- live up to their corporate social responsibility (CSR) principles; so I personally think they should support such an application because it helps them attract environmentally and socially conscious customers

    2- customers are not inconvenient by having to look for recycle bins without knowing where to find one

    3- it helps the city to save some money; by reducing the hefty price that it has to pay on treating waste (millions are paid on waste management and treatment solutions)

  11. Sanjiv

    Vahid to add to your point it would also create business/non profit orgs for example a recylce collection centre at different locations around the city.

  12. samira afrand

    I cant tell you how many times I have been in a suituation where I did not know where to dispose my "recyclable trash" ! I hope this goes forward, super great idea, I will get the app for sure! Good Luck!

  13. Liz Smiley

    I think this app already exists

  14. Manu Sharma

    Shekhar/Sanjiv/Greg/Kara/Samira, thanks a lot for the encouragement. We really appreciate. Our hope in developing this application was to see such support. It means a lot to us.

    Filip, great point. We have your input on our list for the next version release.

    Liz, can you please guide us to the app that you think already exists. Please note that we are looking for a solution that his highly localized and allows end users to add "recycling nodes" to the database from their mobile device on the go. Our proposed solution would be rich in user participation (through active geo-tagging), and it is that aspect of user input - instead of pulling data from a one snap shot Database that has renewal challenges - that is most exiciting for us. Please provide any information that you can for the product that you are referring to.

  15. Scott Smith

    This idea could go lots of ways. Simple tasks could be good - find out what to put at the curb this week - what day is recycling in my parent/kid/etc neighbourhood - where is the recycling truck right now - alert me about holiday schedules.

    Or, it could help compare products - their recycling tax if i buy it - their carbon footprint - why is there more eco-fee on one product vs. another - etc.

    Or it could give directions - where can i recycle my old product - where is the nearest recycling location.

  16. Manu Sharma

    Wow ... Scott thanks a lot for some very creative and positive inputs. They are going on our "list of future feature set" as I write this thank you note. In having this discourse through this initiative, we feel the goals of Apps4Ottawa are being truly met. A big thank you from all of us in the OAK Computing team again.

  17. Luc Lalande

    Congrats on proposing a potentially valuable service app to the community that will have practical applications. I concur with Filip and Scott's recommendations. The opportunity for people to participate in greater recycling at the "point of curb" is appealing especially as groups like CDN Diabetes Association will come to your door to collect household items. If the app can integrate "point of curb" options ... this could really take off. Luc L.

  18. Jennifer Hood

    I think this is a great idea! Really, as service that should be found in every major city. Good luck with the competion, this is deserving idea!

  19. Tuhin

    This is one cool idea! I must admit, there have been several occasions where after using objects, there is no place that I can throw them out. This app would definitely add value to a lot of stakeholders and at the same time generate increased awareness about all the initiatives been put out to help reduce the carbon footprint.

    Good luck Manu!!

  20. Gagandeep Singh

    Fantastic idea... can reduce lot of waste going to our landfills....

  21. Naima Shegow

    Very neat and valuable app. Congrats and all the best!

  22. Adi

    Amazing!... like Scott's idea about integrating the schedule

  23. carolyne huber

    Great idea Manu! Trendwatching.com states eco-superior as a trend to watch for this year. I really hope this enables businesses (to see the economic incentive) & governments to work together to make it easy for people to recycle. I visited Spain last month and to my surprise there are 2 types of recycling bins everywhere, essentially making it a no brainer to recycle. All the best with the ap!

  24. Serena Goodling

    Ottawa definitely needs more green initiatives, we should be a role model for the rest of the country. Great idea!

  25. Aymen Sakka

    Brilliant idea! I personally need this application because I am still confused when it comes to what , where and when I can recycle. Definitely a deserving idea! I wish you lots of luck Manu!

    Aymen S.

  26. Ammar Riaz

    Great idea Manu! I wish you all the best!
    Would be nice to see an equivalent app on the Android platform.

  27. Amanda Emmanuel

    It's definitely a great idea, wishing you guys the best of luck!

  28. Kanu Sharma

    Absolutely great idea!! Geo-tagging could be really useful, particularly for making people aware of (temporary) locations of recycling drives/programs that are often organized by government departments/businesses for specific products such as batteries. All the best guys!!

  29. Dave Hunt

    Our hope is an app like this has the potential to influence businesses to be more recycling friendly, and to make Ottawa a more green city as a result! Thanks to everyone for your wonderful ideas and feedback.

  30. Shahbaz

    It's a very innovative idea.
    City of Ottawa deserves this.

  31. Kyle

    Excellent idea! Best of luck!

  32. Brian Bailey

    Valuable idea Manu. I love being able to contribute in constructive ways. Problem is, life is busy and finding the time to do the right thing is often challenging. Your team's OneTouchRecycle app will make it easier for us to serve our communities.
    Well done!
    BB

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