“Clean” and “digital” might not be words that come to mind when most people think of waste collection, but this traditionally low-tech field is about to become less dirty and more digital thanks to a new intelligent rubbish management system launched in Sanya.

As part of a just-launched pilot program, the trash transfer station at Sanya’s Xiayangtian Residential Community on Fenghuang Road has been replaced with a new high-tech, automated trash sorting system that encourages residents to put trash in their corresponding categories.

The system consists of three containers for sorting waste – wet waste, dry waste, and harmful waste – each of which is equipped with a sensor that recognizes the material inside and classifies each item into the proper category.

When a resident approaches one of the smart trash containers, a receptacle corresponding to the article to be discarded will open automatically after the system has recognized the object.

The intelligent trash management system not only helps to educate the public about how to appropriately sort waste materials into waste receptacles; it also facilitates environmentally friendly waste management.