Beelog TechCustom IoT development
Reverse vending machines for recycling
Machines that take back used containers, check what was inserted, and report their fill level so pickups can be planned.
- MQTT
- telemetry
- 4G
- connectivity
- OTA
- remote updates
Context
The first and hardest step of recycling is getting containers back. An automated collection point that works without staff opens the way to scaling collection.
The problem
A reverse vending machine faces very different challenges from a normal one: recognizing and accepting what is inserted, resisting misuse, tracking its own fill level, and coordinating collection logistics with a central system. None of that works without mechanics, sensing, and software designed as one.
What we built
Beelog Tech developed the mechanical integration, the sensor system that verifies accepted containers, and the controller firmware, and connected the machine to the Beelog telemetry platform (tz.beelog.tech). Fill level, status, and alerts appear in the dashboard, so collection logistics can be planned from data.
Where it runs
Prototypes went through bench and field testing before installation. The machines report over 4G to the platform and receive firmware updates over the air.
What changed
Container collection becomes a process with data: what came back, where, and when a bin needs emptying. Fill-level data lets pickups run as fewer, better-planned trips. The project showed that the vending platform's technology carries over into recycling.
Built with
Building something that does not exist yet?
Describe what it has to do. We will say what the first prototype would take.