Unlock the potential in waste with metroKEY

Capture the Recyclables You Want, Everywhere

We want you to think for a moment about the 94% of food waste from apartments that is still getting thrown in the trash – waste that could be providing valuable nutrients for crops as well as generating electricity. Did you know, for example, that the average weekly quantity of food waste from one household could power nearly two cycles of their washing machine?

Then there is the 76% of dry recyclables – glass, aluminum, plastics, paper, and cardboard – that are going the same way, adding to our carbon emissions instead of being made into new packaging, the batteries that are causing fires and increasing harmful mining practices in many countries, not to mention textiles and other household items that could be reused.

What is the problem?

So why are we not capturing more of these materials, particularly from apartments? First of all, there has to be a collection service in place, and it is extremely encouraging to see cities all over the world striving to extend this basic requirement to every property, including the many apartment buildings, or at least to a nearby drop-off point.

Communal properties are, of course, inherently challenged by lack of space and accountability, so right away we know that we need massive changes in resident disposal behavior, and what we have found is that this always comes down to three things – knowledge, ease, and motivation.

Changing disposal behavior

More people know now that putting food in the trash bin increases emissions, but this knowledge on its own is rarely enough – we have to make it easy for them by providing in-kitchen caddies, liners, and convenient drop-off points where residents regularly walk, and in many cases this will, by virtue of its public-facing nature, require a secure enclosure.

Having done this, we then need to provide motivation for residents not only to use them, but also to use them correctly, i.e. not contaminating them with non-food items. So we need to communicate well, elaborating on the benefits, such as cleaner buildings and a better future for our kids, and define acceptable materials using easily understandable graphics.

This can be done with flyers and door-to-door outreach, but it also needs continual reinforcement in a fun, engaging way over time as people change and lives get ever busier. They need reminders of what to do and why it is important, they need to see that others are doing it too – something called social norming – as well as feedback on how they are doing themselves.

A new approach

And this is where the metroKEY user platform comes in, to help you create an engaged community of drop-off recyclers, who can easily see on live mapping where to take whatever items they have that are surplus to requirements, and can do so quickly and easily, at any time of day or night.

Coming soon: metroKEY will give users instant feedback on the environmental impact of their recycling, such as how much carbon emissions they have reduced and how their efforts compare with community targets. Where Extended Producer Responsibility or beverage packaging rebates apply, these will also be able to be credited to user accounts for spending in local stores.

How does metroKEY Work?

Easy Administration & Control

Smart Fill Sensor Integration

Educate with metroKEY

Fast User Access

Analyze Recycling Data

Reporting Issues with metroKEY

Unlock the Value in Waste

Screens depicted are illustrative and may differ from the live metroKEY app and admin panel.