Up to 84% of office waste is packaging: results of the BPA "Smart Bin" pilot test

Separate waste collection in offices is successful when people sort their trash consciously and the infrastructure is tailored to the actual waste stream. Many companies lack precise analytics: they don't know exactly what employees are throwing away or in what volumes. The Moscow-based company BPA has developed a smart bin—a hardware and software complex with a computer vision module that automatically identifies the type of waste and directs the item into the correct container.

More than half of Russians already practice separate waste collection, but without reliable data on waste at a specific site, it is difficult to optimize efficiency. Incorrect calculation of container volume leads to overflowing bins or empty garbage truck loads. An automated system that simultaneously sorts waste and collects statistics helps avoid these problems.

How the BPA smart bin works

The system analyzes every discarded item using computer vision, recognizing plastic, cardboard, metal, and other fractions. Once identified, the waste is directed to the appropriate container. Users can correct the selection on a touchscreen panel; these corrections are used to train the model and improve recognition accuracy. The solution requires no specialized maintenance and integrates into existing infrastructure.

Pilot testing results
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With the support of the Moscow Innovation Cluster, a three-month trial was conducted at the Lomonosov technopark. Five devices were installed in areas with varying traffic. During the pilot, the system collected about 90,000 images, creating a database for further development. Analysis showed that packaging accounts for up to 84% of office waste: 40–46% plastic, 30–38% cardboard, 10–17% metal, and about 15% other waste. Such data allows for the precise selection of container volume and quantity, reducing disposal costs.

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According to the Deputy General Director of the Moscow Innovation Cluster Foundation, Maxim Vlasov, the main goal of the pilot test is to help technology companies adapt their products for the market more quickly. The BPA smart bin demonstrated stable performance and readiness for integration. Priority sites for implementation will include office centers, educational institutions, libraries, cultural venues, and shopping malls—where the flow of packaging waste is particularly high.

BPA co-founder and CTO Vadim Medyanik noted that the pilot confirmed the system's functionality in real-world operating conditions, and the collected data will help adapt parameters for different sites. The Moscow Innovation Cluster, which brings together organizations from 87 regions of Russia, provides companies with access to real-world sites, users, and infrastructure, helping them bring innovations to market faster.

Following the successful test, BPA plans to scale the solution to other urban sites to improve the efficiency of separate waste collection and increase the share of recyclable materials.

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