DWaste at the Bottle Bill Demonstration: Real‑Time Recycling Insights

On January 31, 2026, the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore hosted Mr. Trash Wheel’s Cash for Trash: A Bottle Bill Demonstration Event. Over three hours, 300 participants redeemed 25,563 beverage containers for 10¢ each—filling a dumpster in just one hour. DWaste deployed a single edge‑AI sensor at Table 7 to capture real‑time recycling patterns.

DWaste edge device capturing a waste item in real time

📊 What the Sensor Saw

• Total beverage containers detected: 84

  • Plastic bottles: 77 (92%)
  • Aluminum cans: 7 (8%)

• Peak recycling minute: 11:33 AM – 5 containers in 60 seconds

• First‑hour surge: 38 containers (51% of total) flowed through Table 7 before the dumpster filled at 12:00 PM

• Average detection rate: 0.41 containers per minute (3‑hour window)

• Sustained activity: Detections continued steadily through the afternoon, with a second minor peak around 12:45 PM

DWaste edge device capturing data timeline

🔍 Why It Matters

This granular, minute‑by‑minute data proves that a 10¢ deposit creates immediate, measurable recycling behavior. The sensor‑logged activity shows a sustained high volume leading up to the 12:00 PM dumpster‑fill milestone reported in news coverage—while minor timestamp variations exist between the edge device logs and manual reporting, the close alignment validates edge AI as a reliable tool for policy advocacy and event analytics.

♻️ The Bigger Picture

If Maryland passes the Bottle Bill, DWaste’s technology can help track redemption rates, optimize collection logistics, and provide transparent ROI for producers and policymakers alike.

Total event containers: 25,563 | DWaste sampled at Table 7 | Full dataset and visualization available upon request.