UNIVERSAL TRASH DIVIDER

SMK ST. JOSEPH PAPAR

PARTICIPANTS:

NURRUL SA’ADAH BINTI ISHAK

MAGDELENE LIAW FUI VEN

TIMOTHY ALFREDO DOM SIMON

SUPERVISOR:

PUAN SITI ZULAIKHA ZAINUDDIN

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Contents Pages

1. Abstract 3

2. Acknowledgement 4

3. Introduction 5

4. Methodology 6-7

5. Experiment 8-10

6. Results 11-13

7. Conclusions 14
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Abstract

This study examined the problems people face on dividing non-recyclable and
recyclable items in their daily life. Teenagers and adults were the subject that we have
been investigating regarding this matter. We have done a survey about how do they
deal with the waste items in their daily life. We predicted that they are neglecting the
importance on separating the non-recyclable and recyclable items when throwing
away those items. According to our survey, our subjects (teenagers and adults) are
not paying proper attention on dividing their trash. All the non-recyclable are recyclable
items such as plastic bags, papers, tins and bottles were mixed inside the rubbish bin.
In a nutshell, we have decided to invent a thrash divider so that those trashes can be
divided into non-recyclable and recyclable items problem might not appeared again in
our life.
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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our deep gratitude to Puan Siti Zulaikha Zainuddin, our
supervisor for her patience guidance, enthusiastic encouragement and useful critiques
of this research work. We would also like to thank our school teachers for their
constructive advices and assistances on completing our project.

Our grateful thanks are also extended to our classmates and family members for their
help in doing the data analysis. We would also like to extend our thanks to our school
and our teammates family for preparing the equipment that we needed on completing
our project.

Finally, we wish to thank our parents for their support and encouragement throughout
our research.
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1.0 Introduction

It has been a long time since the recycle bins have been introduce to the humanity in
order to encourage people to separate the non-recyclable and recyclable items to save
our mother earth from more harm on waste management. This is the reason why the
recycle bins have been introduce to us. The recycle bins exist in various size but the
bins are separated into three bins which are provided for paper, tin or aluminium cans
and glass or plastic bottles. Since it was provided in three different bins, some places
do not have the complete sets of it and people were not giving much attention and
effort on dividing their trash before throwing it away. So they ended up throwing all
rubbish into a trash can without dividing them.

To solve these problems, we have thought about a method and invented a trash divider.
With this inventions of ours, the community would not have any unsatisfication
anymore on there was no suitable bins to throw their trash away. This is because there
is not much effort necessary on dividing the trash with our new invention, the
“Universal Thrash Divider”.
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2.0 Methodology

We have done a survey on our own classmates and family members regarding the
matter on dividing the trash before throwing them. Besides, we also have take an
action on discovering how was the trash can looks like and from our research we found
out that all the rubbish were mixed inside it. So in order to get rid of this unsightly
matter, we invented the thrash divider.

The trash divider contains three compartments. In order to separate the trash we build
an incline board above the trash divider. The incline board has two parts which are:
the first part that have plenty of different shapes holes for the trash such as plastic bag
and snacks wrapper, the second part that have grill-like holes for the paper to slide in.
We build the divider inclined in order to make sure that the trash can be divided
efficiently. We connected the inclined board from the first compartment until the
second compartment, in this way items like bottles and aluminium cans would not go
into the first two compartments, meanwhile it will slide into the third compartment. We
only uses the corrugated plastic board, PVC pipes and some connectors such as small
door hinges, duct tapes, cable tie and hot glue gun.

2.1 Chronology

• Meeting with supervisor discussing regarding the ideas for the project.
Day 1

• Discussing the budgets and materials for the project.

Day 2 • Sketching the project's prototype

• Shoppings for any necessary materials

Day 3 • Building the prototype

• Discussing with supervisor regarding the project's paperwork

• Showing the prototype to our supervisor.
Day 4 • Improvising the prototype

• Completing the prototype

Day 5

Figure 1: Chronological event for this project

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START

Brainstorming

Sketch drawing

No
Revise drawing Drawing finalise?

Yes

Material purchasing

Prototype building

Testing

Yes

Problem?

No

Finishing

End

Figure 2: Flow chart for prototype building

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3.0 Experiment

We have done a survey on our own classmates and family members regarding the
matter on dividing the trash before throwing them. What we get from the survey is most
of them does not separate their trashes before throwing them away and they also
stated that there were no complete sets of recycling bin for them to segregate their
rubbish, so they decided to just throw the rubbish inside a normal trash can. Next, we
also have take an action on discovering how was the trash can looks like to prove the
survey that we have done. From our research we found out that all the rubbish were
mixed inside it as what we can see in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Rubbish were mixed inside the dustbin

After that, we have discussed our ideas with our supervisor, Puan Siti Zulaikha
Zainuddin about the solutions regarding the problem that we had discovered. Based
on the discussions, we have decided to build the trash divider and we also had shared
our project’s sketch with our supervisor. Figure 4 shown the sketch that we had
discussed.
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Figure 4: The sketch of the ‘Universal Trash Divider”

Then, we went to buy all the necessary materials on building our prototype of our
“Universal Trash Divider” according to our sketch in Figure 4. The materials that we
bought can be referred to Table 1.

Table 1: List of material with price

Materials Quantity Price (RM)

1. Corrugated plastic cardboard 13 36.80
2. Duct tape 1 3.90
3. Door hinges 10 7.00
4. PVC pipe 1 1.70
5. Clear book wrapper 5 8.87

Total Price 58.27

Budget given 100.00
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Figure 5: Prototype fabrication

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4.0 Results

What we get from the survey is most of them does not separate their trashes before
throwing them away and they also stated that there were no completed sets of
recycling bin for them to throw their rubbish separately, so they decided to just throw
the rubbish inside a normal trash can. From our research, we found out that all the
rubbish were mixed inside it and this proved that our community is neglecting the
importance on separating their trashes. So we decided to build a new invention to get
rid of this problem.

Figure 6: Universal Trash Divider

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Easy to
build

Can be
Help to
operated
sort
by kids
daily
age 5 and
trashes
above Advantages

Occupied
Can be
minimal
folded
spaces

Figure 7: Advantages of the product

According to the Figure 7, there are five advantages of using the Universal Trash
Divider which is easy to build. This Universal Trash Divider can be build by kids as
young as 11 years old and also it can be operated by kids age five and above. Next,
the size of it is just 4 ft (length) x 2 ft (width) x 2 ft (height) so it only occupied minimal
spaces to keep it. It also can be folded and put inside a box. Besides, it can help us to
sort out our daily trashes.

Papers
cannot be
crumpled

Limitations

Food waste
The incline
cannot be
board must
thrown
be smooth
inside

Figure 8: Limitations of the product

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According to Figure 8, there are only three limitations of the Universal Trash Divider.
The first one is the papers cannot be crumpled to avoid it from falling into the wrong
compartment because every compartment has it own size for the trashes. Next, food
waste cannot be thrown inside it because it will cause the Universal Trash Divider to
not functioning well. Besides, to increase the efficiency of the Universal Trash Divider,
the surface of the incline board must be smooth to decrease the friction between the
trash and the inclined board.

4.1 Target Group And Space

Kids age 5 and above, teenagers and also adult can use this Universal Trash Divider
to sort out their daily trash such as papers, aluminium cans, plastic wrapper and plastic
bottles.

If this project supported by our community, we suggested to place this Universal Trash
Divider inside the classrooms and at home.

Figure 9: Easy operation by five years old kid

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5.0 Conclusion

Our prototype are working and we believe that by creating this trash divider we can
get rid of the problem where people not paying attention on separating their rubbish.
However, our inventions need a certain rule to make sure it works efficiently which is
the papers that been thrown inside cannot be crumpled. In contrast, if people follow
that rule it will be easier for us to divide our trashes and can prevent any mixed rubbish
in a trash can which is also will help to protect mother earth from getting harms from
waste management. It is because when those trashes have been separated with our
Universal Trash Divider, it will be easier to recycle them and any waste management
like burning them are not necessary, in the same time this will help to protect our
mother nature from getting polluted.