Waste Control and Monitoring Using Long-Range Wide Area Network

Abstract

Traditional waste collection methods often result in inefficient collection schedules, increased operational costs, and environmental pollution. To address these challenges and enhance waste management, this project proposes the use of a Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN)-based system for the monitoring, sorting, sterilizing, and compressing of waste. All bins (nodes) collect real-time environmental data with the help of sensors and send it using LoRa to the Cluster Head, which serves as a local gateway. The Cluster Head gathers and sends the information to a cloud-based Network Server (Node-RED) via the Internet. The information is then communicated and sent through the MQTT protocol to a Dashboard to monitor and make decisions in real-time. The system also incorporates GPS-based location tracking and notification services to optimize waste collection operations. The proposed system contributes to reducing unnecessary collection trips, improving operational efficiency, and supporting sustainable environmental management. Simulation results confirmed that the system is efficient in all tasks, sending an alert when the container is full, when harmful gases are detected, and/or when the bin is rotated or moved. It also represents the position of the bin perfectly and offers live information. The proposed system contributes to reducing unnecessary collection trips, improving operational efficiency, and supporting sustainable environmental management.