VenChinX: A Reverse Vending Machine

I remember my thesis back in college, it's so fitting that my group mates and I chose (to enhance) a thesis that is environment friendly. Our thesis was, in concept, a reverse vending machine. You feed it an aluminum can, it gives you prepaid load for your mobile phone.

Segregate Effectively

Reverse vending machines paves the way for effective segregation. How? The promise of reward makes people do the extra effort of segregating their trash. Imagine if you're walking around the mall, drinking your soda from a can, once you're finished with it, would you just toss it in the bin or head towards the nearest reverse vending machine knowing that in doing so would be helping the environment AND will give you a reward after doing so?

Saving Energy

The segregation and recycling of aluminum cans do save a lot of energy - and apparently, nature too, by reducing the quantities of ore to be mined. Quoting from my thesis documentation (Chapter 1):

In order to create an aluminum can, companies need to mine and smelt bauxite ore. The smelting of bauxite ore results into molten aluminum, which is then casted into ingots. The ingots are then rolled into sheets and from the sheets; parts of the aluminum can are cut. The recycling of aluminum cans lessens the consumption of the natural resources needed to produce them and saves 95 percent of the energy needed to produce aluminum from bauxite ore

Let me reiterate that, saves 95 percent of the energy. WOW!

Why Electronic Load?

Why did we choose electronic load instead of just plain cash? Easy.

1. We don't need to put money in the machine, which would require a tighter security for it
2. Load is rampantly used in the Philippines
3. It's easier to detect if the machine is low on load
4. It's easier to reload the machine with electronic load (it can be automated) rather than putting money in the machine.

Again, quoting fro my thesis documentation (chapter 1)

Since electronic loading has become prevalent in the Philippines, turning it to compensation for recycling aluminum cans will help increase the recognition and acceptance and eventually, usage of the reverse vending machine in the Philippines.

How the Reverse Vending Machine Works

Our machine requires you to register or to log in using your mobile number as your credential. It has a monitor telling you what to do, and a numpad for interacting with the machine. When you log in or register, you have 3 options, either to recycle a can, check your points or to send load to your phone.

Let's say you want to recycle a can, it will prompt you to put the can inside the machine and then the machine will scan it's barcode to verify if it's a valid can. During our thesis, we were only limited to drink cans so it needs to be checked against a database. Once the can is detected as valid, it will start the crushing process and give you 1 point for it.

If you want to redeem your points, you just tell it how much load you want (depends on your points) and it will send load to your phone. At that time we were limited to the following networks: Smart, Globe, Sun, Talk and Text and, Touch Mobile. Red Mobile went in the market at the time when our thesis was almost finished and there wasn't a provider for Red Mobile load yet.

The Original Version

I remember the original version of this thesis. It was made by a then-co-officer in our school computer organization. I was so amazed with their concept back then, even if it was a little crude. I don't know much about their interface, but it's detecting mechanism were lasers (kinda like the one in parking lots) and the crushing mechanism was a weight that smashes the can 3 times. It took a long time to crush one can since the crusher was just a weight that is moved by a bicycle(?) chain. It was a mechanical process. Also, you have to crush 60 cans at one go before and then you get your load immediately.

Our Enhanced Version

Enhancements

Our thesis still needs a lot of improvement.

1. What if someone flashes a barcode and fakes his points? So we need some sort of automated door for that. 
2. What if I lost my mobile phone and I have a lot of points. How do I transfer my points?
3. It consumes a lot of electricity because it's using a computer (a laptop at that, and a CRT monitor for display)

Being able to make something like this really inspires me to do more for the environment. If segregation were automated like our vending machine, I think it will drive a lot of people to recycle. Machines like these, if placed in strategic and easy to access places will really be hit.

How about you? Any ideas on how to drive people to segregate? Have you seen cool ideas like this that could help save the world? Share it and this blog :)

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Green Office Tips For an Employee

There are a lot of tips on the Internet about how to keep your office greener, but most of the tips out there need you to be in a strategic or decision-making position.

How do you set the printer on both pages if you're not the IT person who manages the printers?
How can you choose green office materials and furniture if you're not in charge of buying these items?

Fret not. Here are tips on how you can be a

Green Employee

Green Computer Use

The computer is the most used office tool, unfortunately they're power hoggers themselves. So we have to take steps on how to minimize the power consumption of your computer

1. Set your screen to time-out after being idle. Instead of having a screen saver, just turn-off the display. The monitor will use less energy since the display is off.
2. Use battery power if you're issued a laptop. Aside from saving your battery from being incapacitated early, you're also saving by not drawing power from the outlets. Just make sure that the charging unit is also unplugged as well.
3. Use black backgrounds since black backgrounds just turn off the pixel on the screen. As a trivia, the hex value of black is #000000. In IT and electronics, 0 means off.
4. If you're not dealing with time-critical work, then set power options to "power saver" mode.
5. Don't keep your monitor too bright. If you're comfortable in working with a little dim monitor, then it's better, since less energy is spent to light up the pixels

Green Paper Use

1. Don't print everything. Before printing, think. "What will I do with this paper after I print it?". If you'll just look at it and read it once, then don't print it anymore. You're just wasting ink and paper. You can just view it on your computer
2. Instead of printing memos and other documents that needs to be read by other employees, just send an email.
3. Before printing something that you really have to print, read or check the document first and make sure that everything is correct. This is to remove the "wrong print" scenario. A lot of paper is wasted just because employees find an incorrect grammar or missing titles in the documents.

Energy Efficiency

1. Get more work done. Instead of idling in the office, pretending to work, get more work done. Although the office will still open and consume power every workday, getting more work done actually benefits the environment since less energy is wasted on useless things
2. Don't turn on the fan if the AC is on. Although there are times that you feel you need the extra cool breeze, don't. Just sit and relax. Your body will adjust to the temperature of the office and you won't feel hot anymore.
3. Do not overcharge your gadgets. Not only does overcharging incapacitates your battery, it also consumes energy that could have been used for more productive activities

Coffee Breaks

Breaks are an employees "me time". Employees can do what they want with this extra hour or quarter of an hour. Remember these tips to keep your break green.

1. Bring your own mug and/or tumbler. Instead of using the paper, plastic and styro cups (especially the latter) provided in the pantry, bring your own. It is a little tedious to wash your own mug and tumbler but it greatly reduces our carbon footprint by purchasing less cups.
2. Opt to dine-in on fast foods than to take the food out. Dine-in customers get the washable flat- and silverware. Washing the dishes costs less than using paper boxes/bowls, plastic spoon and forks, plastic/paper bags for the take-out food.
3. Bring your own silverware. If ever you need to take out food, refuse the plastic spoon and fork. Just use your own. It's cleaner and earth-friendlier
4. Reuse your teabag. There's nothing wrong with reusing tea bags. It'll save you on tea expenses (since tea isn't usually given for free in the office) I reuse mine thrice on my 500 mg tumbler.

Be Daring. Encourage Others

If you are bold enough to make a suggestion to management, then why not? Tell your boss the benefits of being green. Most companies now are looking for more ways to be green, so why not start it in your office as well? Start small. Start with your team. Look for ways on how your team can minimize your carbon footprint.

1. Use email for memos. 'nuf said
2. Digitize your forms. You do fill out most of the inter-office or inter-department forms on your computer, so why do you need to print it?
3. Use digital signatures. Digital signatures can be anything, whether it be just the email signature, or a confirm button if you're using a software, use digital signatures instead of signing forms that will just be forgotten after they all sign it.
4. Dedicated a hard drive for documentation. Gone are the days when you need to "file" documents. Since you create the documents on the computer, there's no sense of printing it at all. Just dedicate a computer or a hard drive where your team will put all the documentations in.

Remember, there are more ways to be green, all we have to do is to change our attitude of "me-me-me" into "earth-friendly - earth-friendly - earth-friendly"!

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Easy Tips for a Green Home

Congratulations! This is a huge step into living green. If you're reading this then you are taking the initiative to GO GREEN. So give your self a pat on the back for being earth-friendly.

Now, sit back and read on for easy tips for a Green Home

Conserve Water

It's something that we're taught ever since we were kids. Always conserve water, but how do we actually conserve water? Simple! Just turn off the tap when not in use.

1. When washing your hands
• Turn off the tap when your soaping your hands. 
2. When brushing your teeth
• Turn off the tap while your putting toothpaste on your tooth brush
• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. 
• Instead of scooping running water from the tap, use a glass and fill it with water, use the glass for gargling.
3. When washing the dishes
• Turn off the tap when your soaping your dishes
• If possible, recycle the water you used for rinsing the soaped dishes for cleaning other stuff
4. When washing clothes
• Use soaps that have the 1 rinse technologies
• Don't keep water running while your washing clothes
5. Use lower shower heads
• Lower shower heads needs less water pressure
6. Don't open the tap full out. 
• Just let enough water flow. It may be slower but it saves more water

Save Electricity

Aside from saving a lot of money because of a lower electricity bill, you're helping save the earth by reducing the amount of energy or electricity that needs to be produced

1. Unplug anything that you're not using
• Appliances that doesn't need to be plugged in 24x7 (air conditioner, electric fan, oven toaster, microwave, bread toaster, television. radio, laptop, cell phone chargers, computer, computer AVRs)
2. Do not over-charge your gadgets
• Aside from lessening the battery life of your gadgets, you won't consume too much electricity if you unplug the chargers
3. Switch off the lights
• Lights are "appliances" that you can't unplug, so just switch them off when you're not using it
• If it's still bright outside, just use the natural light from the sun
4. Use energy efficient light bulbs such as LED bulbs or fluorescent lights. You'll also discover that these lights aren't hot on the skin
5. Use rechargeable batteries
1. Instead of buying and disposing batteries, just buy rechargeable ones. You'll save a lot.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle + Repurpose

Yeah, yeah, you've heard of the 3 Rs in school loads of times, but let's add another R in the equation. Repurpose or more known now as upcycling. Now, let's get down and dirty on those 4.

Reduce

Reduce waste. Use less of everything. We have to change our mindset that new stuff is good stuff.

1. Reduce plastic consumption
• User your own bag when shopping
• Refuse plastic bags if you can carry the items by hand or put it in your bag
• Don't use drinking straws
2. Reduce paper consumption
• Use your own bag when shopping
• Refuse paper bags if you can carry the items by hand or put it in your bag
• Print on both pages of papers
• Use scrap paper for writing down small notes
• Don't scribble unnecessarily (oops! I'm guilty of this!)
3. Reduce water and electric consumption

Reuse

Most things around us are not for single use. Again, this requires that we change our mindset that new is good, or new is better, or that new is the only way to go.

1. Reuse plastic (or glass) bottles
• Reuse bottles from vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, water, juice and softdrinks. Use them as water pitchers or juice bottles
2. Reuse plastic/styro cups and bowls
• When in a party or convention, you can reuse the cups that you got for drinking water or coffee
3. Reuse plastic bags/paper bags that you got from shopping either by
• Using them the next time you shop
• Carrying your things when going somewhere
• Using it as a gift bag
• Using it to segregate your trash/ trash bin covers

Recycle

You can recycle almost anything now. From the conventional way of recycling, to earning you a few bucks.

1. Make a compost, even if you're not planning to put up a garden now, you'll never know when the urge hits you, or when you'll need rich soul. Use biodegradable material for your compost
2. Use the soapy water you used for rinsing clothes for cleaning your car, the garage, or anything else that needs cleaning
3. Segregate
• Segregate your trash and sell paper, glass bottles, plastic bottles and plastic bottle caps to a junk shop or a nearby recycling facility

Repurpose

Upcycling

is now a fashionable trend. Gone were the days when people who use trash for decoration were considered weird. Now, upcycling things is so fab that a lot of people are doing it and sharing tips from one another. A lot of people even sell their upcycled crafts, and people buy it. Being green is now a fashion statement.

1. Old magazines, papers, newspapers
• Coasters
• Beads
• Jewelry
• Pictures/Picture frames
•  Fireplace logs
2. Tissue Rolls
• Napkin ring holder
• Wall art
• Scrap book art
3. Plastic Bottles
• Lamps
• Flowers
• Scoop
• Spritz bottle

I hope you find these tips useful and more importantly, doable. All the small things that we do matter, especially if we are greater in number, so do share this.

Do you have any more tips or suggestions? Do tell us what you think.

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