Orange Sparkle Ball was awarded a Real World Deployment Grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's Office of Future Mobility and Electrification. This grant is enabling us to put our Autonomous Robotic Pickup Platform into action through a series of pilots in the Transportation Innovation Zone of Detroit, established by the Office of Mobility Innovation at The City of Detroit.
Orange Sparkle Ball is thrilled to announce the expansion of our innovative robotic pickup platform, designed to revolutionize waste management and recycling in the Detroit community. We will be partnering with Intermode to explore the use of autonomous robots for the pickup of household materials and proper end-of-life processing. Over the next month, we will be launching new material offerings for pickup, including plastic bags, small electronics, and food waste.
On Monday, September 9th, we launched a pilot collecting plastic bags for recycling, a material not currently accepted through curbside city recycling services. This pilot is a critical step in reducing the environmental impact of single-use plastics, using robots to streamline the collection process to ensure that these often-overlooked items are efficiently gathered and processed.
Building on this test, the next phase will involve the retrieval of small electronics for refurbishment. This crucial step will help us recover valuable materials and extend the lifecycle of electronic devices, contributing to a more sustainable tech ecosystem. For this pilot, small electronics will be limited to Tablets, Smartphones, Pagers, Cell Phones, PDAs, MP3 Players, Gaming Systems, Laptops, Keyboards & Mice, and USB Cables, but we hope to expand materials as we continue to increase the scope of pickup offerings.
The final phase of our pilot plan will incorporate food waste into the pickup platform. By diverting organic waste from landfills and processing it into valuable by-products or compost, we aim to close the loop on food waste management and promote a circular economy. This comprehensive approach not only enhances our recycling and waste diversion efforts but also sets a new standard for smart, eco-friendly practices. We’re excited to see the positive impact of this pilot and look forward to sharing updates as we progress through each phase.
Ultimately, our goal is to continue to grow and refine the pickup platform beyond the 4 pilots we are launching using the Real World Deployment grant from the State of Michigan.
PILOT PARTICIPATION
What: We will be collecting plastic bags, small electronics, and food waste for responsible end-of-life processing.
Where: These pilots will service the Corktown area within the Transportation Innovation Zone. We are working to recruit participants in North Corktown in partnership with the North Corktown Neighborhood Association but plan to engage in other neighborhoods of Corktown.
When: Over the next month, we will be launching new material offerings for pickup, including plastic bags, small electronics, and food waste.
Time slots for plastic bags pickup will be available starting on September 9th.
Time slots for small electronics pickup will be available starting on September 26th.
Time slots for food waste pickup will be available starting on October 7th.
If you are located in the Transportation Innovation Zone and are interested in participating, please go to https://www.pennypickup.com/ to sign up.
For questions, please contact Hannah Ranieri at hannah@orangesparkleball.com.
Written by Hannah Ranieri, Innovation Strategist
