Many case studies have shown that the use of smart bins can improve efficiency of waste management through streamlining of collection and cleaning operations. However, the adoption of smart bins in Singapore and its neighbouring countries is hampered by the high capital cost of manufacturing and shipping smart bins from overseas. The deployment of such bins also requires cellular connection to overseas servers, and they are difficult to maintain because of their complex compaction systems. All these add to their operational cost.

To address these problems, this project explores the design of a modular smart bin. The modules of the smart bin are designed to be easily shipped to any country and location of deployment and can be easily assembled locally. Such a design has the potential to lower shipping cost by 32% compared to conventional smart bins. The modular smart bin has a cost-effective real-time monitoring system to enhance waste management operations, gas sensors to alert clients of unpleasant odour, and an inverted spiralift for compaction with protected circuitry.