ECE.02R – Air Pro Max Smart Composter

Food waste in the United States is a major contributor of methane emissions as it is the most common material sent to landfills. Every year only 5% of food waste is used for composting, a process that breaks down organic matter without producing methane. The final product is a rich soil that can be used to replenish soil nutrients. A major roadblock to composting is that current composting containers available in the market do not provide any feedback of its contents and rely on user experience and knowledge to get proper results. Our project aims to give the average person the tools to make composting more accessible and encourage people to cut down the food waste being sent to landfills with the help of a smart compost bin. This device is equipped with temperature, moisture, and soil nutrient sensors to give the user feedback about the current state of the compost. The soil nutrient sensor measures the proper content of Nitrogen (1%), Phosphorus (0.5%), and Potassium (1%). It can also give the user recommendations based on sensor readings about what to add to the bin from two categories of organic matter such as vegetable trimmings known as “greens” or dry leaves known as “browns” to achieve a nutrient rich soil. Our device is designed to be a standalone system powered by solar energy and ready to take advantage of the increasing number of community gardens around the country. This project aims to give an alternative to dealing with food waste of the average household and make a modest contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gasses released into the environment.