I work as a construction laborer, but for a long time, I’ve carried an idea that I believe can bring substantial change to how we manage waste in our daily lives. This is not a polished business presentation — it is a sincere attempt to describe a concept that could transform waste sorting at every level: from households to factories.

One of the major problems in the recycling process is the excess air inside the waste packaging — plastic and aluminum bottles, disposable dishes, polyethylene bags, and other containers. Before becoming waste, these packages contained products. Once emptied, they retain unnecessary volume due to air, which complicates storage, sorting, and transportation. If we could compress this air and reduce the volume of waste before it even reaches the trash bin, the recycling process would change dramatically.

That is why I propose the creation of compact household mini-presses. These devices would connect to a regular power outlet, just like a microwave or toaster. Each press would be designed for a specific type of material: plastic bottles, disposable cups, bags, etc. With simple, intuitive controls, they would allow any user to compress waste by up to 80–90%, reducing volume and optimizing the entire waste collection process. These devices could also be adapted for use in businesses, factories, gas stations, and cafés — anywhere electricity is available.

Our kitchens are already filled with gadgets that make our lives easier: dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, coffee machines. Yet, we don’t have a single standard device that helps us prepare our waste for recycling. Mini-presses should become just as essential — a new staple in the home.

Before launching the production of these devices, we need to look at the bigger picture. We must analyze how much and what types of products are delivered to a given region — homes, cafés, gas stations, factories. Then we compare the expected waste output with the actual volumes of sorted materials. If sorting takes too long at recycling plants, it means the incoming waste is contaminated with unrelated materials. This data would reveal where proper sorting practices are being followed and where improvements are needed.

We should also study how businesses currently sort waste and whether that process can be improved. If so, why haven’t they already done so? Understanding this will help refine the design and placement of mini-presses to best serve each context.

The implementation of this idea offers numerous long-term benefits. It would reduce transportation and processing costs, increase the volume of properly sorted materials, and open the door for creative reuse of packaging — for example, turning construction packaging into garbage bags by adding simple printed instructions for cutting and folding. It would also accelerate sorting on recycling lines, enhance consumer environmental awareness, and create opportunities for innovative packaging design.

This is just the beginning of a big idea. I am one person at the start of a significant journey. I don’t have funding or a team — only a vision and a deep conviction that this concept can change the way we think about household waste. I’m looking for engineers, environmental organizations, manufacturers, mentors, and anyone passionate about sustainability to help bring this vision to life.

Together, we can create a useful, scalable, and meaningful tool that helps individuals and communities take real action in solving the global

waste crisis.

 Innovation

 Eco-Innovation