Picoplast : Automatic Plastic Collecting and Disposal Prototype
ABSTRACT
Plastics are organic polymers that are made
from synthetic or semisynthetic material. Since
plastics are durable and degrade slowly, they may
persist in nature for hundreds if not thousands of
years. Discarding them in the open pose dire
ecological consequences. Picoplast aims to focus on
proper plastic waste disposal that can minimize the
amount of garbage thrown everywhere. The device
offers a secure and efficacious solution to these
matter for it is a plastic tracker system that ascertain
and collects plastic specifically plastic bags using a
chain belt. It has a plastic pickup hook belt which is
utilized by a hook belt motor, shaft and pulley. The
widget has a proximity and light sensor in order to
acknowledge the plastics in a particular area then the
plastic pieces will enjoined to the comb and descend
to the collector basket. Being programmed,
monitoring is not needed which makes it less time
consuming for the user. Attributable to this affair,
Picoplast can detect and pick up plastics without the
need to instruct or command it. According to the
trials that was conducted, the project has collected 12
plastics on first trial,15 on second and 17 on third
with time limit of one minute. Picoplast can collect
plastic straw, sachet, wrapper and has collected more
plastics in a given time. The invention is a conceptual
and potential well-functioning material for collection
of plastics which is fully automatic also, it greatly
lessened the amount of plastic in the vicinity.
INTRODUCTION
Plastics are organic polymers made from
synthetic or semisynthetic materials that can be
molded and reshaped under pressure or heat, they
have found applicability in a wide and an ever
expanding range of products, from consumables like
textiles, bottles, carry-bags to special items like
aerospace moldings, because of their durability, low
cost and ease of production. Since plastics are
durable and degrade slowly, they may persist in
nature for hundreds if not thousands of years,
discarding them in the open poses dire ecological
consequences.
According to Hammer J (2012), 70% amount
of plastics are known to sink, which results in the
accumulation of plastic items in seabed sediments.
Plastics do not biodegrade, but they do degrade and
fragment into small pieces under UV lights. To date,
studies show that marine mammals suffer most from
plastic debris, resulting in entanglement and/or
indigestion.
As stated by Be waste wise (2019), certain
types of plastic may be much safer to use for the
environment, however, they all have risk and have
troubling issues associated with them. Thus, it is
concluded that the only solution that is to be taken is
reducing the use of plastic products overall. Strict
controls are needed to limit plastic pollution in our
environment, since it affects marine life and can
damage one’s health. Despite all this facts, the article
failed to address proper plastic waste management
which is also one of our greatest problems. The
article failed to speak about the outcome of reducing
plastic use but still not completely handle the waste
properly.
On the authority ofShah, Priya (2001) stated
in their study “The Plastic Devil: Ecological Menace”
that, the rate of recycling in India is extremely high.
About 40 percent of the total plastics manufactured
are sorted, collected and recycled as opposed to only
10-15 percent in developed countries. Of the types of
plastics recycled in India, PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
accounts for 45 percent, LDPE (low density
polyethylene) for 25 percent, HDPE (high density
polyethylene) for 20 percent, PP (polypropylene) for
7.6 percent and other polymers such as PS
(polystyrene) for 2.4 percent. According to
manufacturers, almost all these types of waste can be
recycled up to four or five times. However, the quality
of the recyclate deteriorates as additives and virgin
material are added to give it strength.
In consonance with Swedish Waste
Management (2000) Annual Publication of RVF
reported that the final stage in the life cycle of
plastics is disposal. In India, there are three common
ways of getting rid off plastics; by dumping them in
landfills, by burning them in incinerators or by
littering them. In the case of littering, plastic wastes
fail to reach landfills or 25 incinerators. It is the
improper way of disposing plastics and is identified
as the cause of manifold ecological problems.
Incineration is a process in which plastic and other
wastes are burnt and the energy produced, as a
result, is tapped.
Pursuant to Michael Abrams (2018), river
trash is harder to remove unlike the garbage lining
our streets, thus, they created remote controlled
robot that collects trash in the water. The online
masses control the bot, through live feeds and the
internet. Making it seem like a video game, it
garnered the attention of the people using modern
day technology. A creative way to help collect plastic
pollution, but there are factors that need to be
considered, such as the control of the robot. An
automatic robot would be more helpful in collecting
plastics, since having the masses control the robot
will not permanently work.
The project will focus on proper plastic waste
disposal rather than focusing on reducing the usage
of plastic products. Former studies failed to address
the result of throwing plastic products away
carelessly, which can also greatly affect one's health.
The project will collect plastic waste without needing
human instructions. Being automatically
programmed, monitoring is not needed, which lessen
one's job. The project will help in the reduction of
improperly discarded plastic waste in general.
General objective; to be able to lessen the amount of
improperly disposed plastic products.1) To
determine if there is a difference with the amount of
plastic products scattered using Arduino.2) To
determine the effectiveness of using Arduino in
collecting plastics.3) To be able to create a Arduino
that can function by itself, without needing to control
in collecting plastics.
Ho : Using the Picoplast will not decrease the amount
of plastic littering our surroundings.
Ha: Using the Picoplast, the amount of plastic littering
our surroundings/school premises will decrease in
amount.
H1: Using the Picoplast, the amount of plastic
littering our surroundings/school premises will at
least decrease.
H2: Using the Picoplast, the amount of plastic
littering our surroundings/school premises will
moderately decrease.
H3: Using the Picoplast, the amount of plastic
littering our surroundings/school premises will
highly decrease.
The results of the study will be of great
benefit to the following: Janitors. The project will
make cleaning easier because it doesn't need a
manual work. School. Since the project will collects
the plastics it will make the atmosphere of the School
lighter.
The project collects plastics only and not all
waste materials. It is only focusing on how to lessen
the plastics that is thrown everywhere. And the
collector basket can only collect several plastics
because it is not as big as the other garbage collector.
The researchers can use the project to collect the
plastics. So that the plastics can no longer be stuck on
the drainage and can cause flood. And the pick-up
hook belt that is the one to pick up the plastics can
only pick several plastics.
METHODOLOGY
GATHERING OF MATERIALS
Infrared proximity Sensor, 5 DC Motor (4
wheeled tracked tank plus one dc motor), 5v 1A relay
module package THT: contact rating 125VAC at 10
AMP /30VDC at 8 AMP; voltage 12V;variant variant
2:switching circuit SPDT; part #G5LE-1.Arduino Uno
(Rev3), Rotoshield-Motor driver shield for Arduino,
Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout-ADXL345
(interface Digital:range+/-2,4,8,16g).Power plug,
Photocell (LDR) (resistance at dark 300 kOhms at 10
seconds; package THT: resistance at luminance 16
kOhms at 10 lux. 100kΩ Resistor, 4.7kΩ Resistor, 12v
2A power supply (voltage 9V), Breadboard and
Breadboard wires.
DESIGNING CIRCUITRY
The photo is the circuit diagram of the
Picoplast.

ASSEMBLY OF CIRCUIT
The Rotoshield-Motor driver shield for
Arduino is connected to the 4 wheeled tracked tank
plus one dc motor and to the Infrared proximity
Sensor. Arduino Uno (Rev3) is connected to the
Breadboard J8 and J9.The Capacitor to H4 to H8,H20
to H25 and I4 to I9. Triple Axis Accelerometer
Breakout-ADXL345 is connected to I36,I37 and I38.
12v 2A power supply (voltage 9V) is connected to
100kΩ Resistor and 100kΩ Resistor is connected to
one dc motor and Arduino Uno (Rev3). 12v 2A power
supply (voltage 9V) is connected to one dc motor.
4.7kΩ Resistor is placed at the D9 to D16 and G9 to
G16 of the Breadboard.
PROGRAMMING
The Researchers chose Java as a
programming language and also consider C,C++,C#
and related languages on making web plugins .These
languages are very much in demand right now, so
they are handy to know. The programming will
include the Document properties, Word Documents
and mathPr
INITIAL TESTING OF PROGRAM TO THE CIRCUIT
The program was tested to the circuit by the
use of Infrared proximity Sensor which the
programming was, this will generate the other parts
of the circuit to function in order to install the circuit
in the prototype.
PROTOTYPE DESIGN
The photo is the prototype design of the
Picoplast.
INS
TALL
ING
CIRCUIT IN THE PROTOTYPE
After programming the circuit, the circuit
will install to the prototype which include the tracked
wheel, plastic pick-up hook belt, collector basket and
the proximity sensor and light sensor with the circuit
which includes the Rotoshield-Motor, Arduino Uno
(Rev3), Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout-
ADXL345, 100kΩ Resistor, 4.7kΩ Resistor, 12v 2A
power supply (voltage 9V),power supply, Breadboard
and Breadboard wires.
FINAL TESTING OF THE PROGRAM TO THE PROTOTYPE
The testing of the program to the prototype is
to sweep an area, detect plastic bags and to pick them
and store them in a basket with proximity sensor and
light sensor to both find the target based on its glow
and to detect proximity to it.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Hannah Ritchie, FAQs on Plastics, 2018.

Michael Abrams Remote Robot Cleans Trash from

Time limit Trials conducted Water
1 trial
st 2nd trial 3rd trial
Michael Abrams Remote Robot Cleans Trash from
1 minute 12 15 17 Water,2018

2minute 22 26 26

3minute 32 34 30

The results exhibit that the prototype has

collected 12 plastics on the first trial, 15 on the
second and 17 on the third with the time limit of one
minute. The project accumulated 22 plastics on the
first trial, 26 on the second and 26 on the third with
the time limit of two minutes. With the limit of three
minutes, the project gathered 32 plastics on the first
trial, 34 on the second and 30 on the third.

REFERENCES
Laura Parker (June 2018). "We Depend on Plastic.
Now We're Drowning in It". NationalGeographic.com.
Retrieved 25 June 2018.

David K. A. Barnes, Francois Galgani, Richard C.

Thompson and Morton Barlaz, Accumulation and
fragmentation of plasticdebris in global
environments,2009.

Richard C. Thompson, Charles J. Moore, Frederick S.

vom Saal, and Shanna H. Swan, Plastics, the
environment and human health: current consensus
and future trends, 2009.

Piyush Kunnapallil & Sruthijith K K, The Plastics

Conundrum What is the Way Out? ,2000.