At SMP Negeri 11 Samarinda, a waste problem tied to the Free Nutritious Meals program has led to an unexpected change in student behavior. An AI-based smart trash bin called SmartBIN has made students more willing to sort waste and throw it away properly.
The shift matters because the issue was not only about cleanliness. Before SmartBIN was introduced, conventional bins were seen as unhygienic and inconvenient, while waste sorting habits among students remained weak.
From low awareness to rapid change
An initial survey showed that only 45 percent of students were aware of the need to dispose of waste properly. School cleanliness was also still at 44 percent, suggesting that existing facilities were not working well enough.
Many students admitted they avoided the bins because they had to touch lids they considered dirty. Knowledge about separating organic and inorganic waste was also uneven across the school community.
| Indicator | Before SmartBIN | After Two Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Student awareness | 45% | 83% |
| Ease of use | 48% | 84% |
| School cleanliness | 44% | 83% |
| Interest in using the bin | 46% | 85% |
| Satisfaction with waste facilities | 44% | 84% |
| Average achievement | 45.4% | 83.8% |
Those numbers improved quickly after SmartBIN went into use. Within two weeks, student awareness rose from 45 percent to 83 percent, while interest in using the bin jumped from 46 percent to 85 percent.
How SmartBIN works in practice
SmartBIN was developed through a problem-based learning approach that turned students into what the school described as environmental detectives. They observed the campus, interviewed people, and mapped waste hotspots in the canteen, corridors, and schoolyard.
The prototype was built collaboratively by teachers and students through Team Konan. It uses a camera, sensors, and a mini computer module supported by AI to identify whether waste is organic or inorganic.
Once the system recognizes the waste type, it directs the item to the correct bin without requiring users to touch the container. A digital screen then shows the waste category, waste-management education, usage statistics, and voice guidance.
The voice guidance makes the system more interactive, while the screen turns each disposal moment into a learning opportunity. That design answered the main complaints about hygiene and convenience while adding an educational layer.
A classroom project with real-world impact
SmartBIN has become more than a waste-handling device. Students were involved from the design stage to data collection for AI training and prototype testing before the system was used more broadly.
That involvement extended learning beyond the classroom and brought environmental issues, technology, and social responsibility into daily school life. It also helped build critical thinking, teamwork, creativity, and technology literacy.
Teachers said the change was visible in behavior as well as in the data. Students who had once avoided the bins became curious about SmartBIN, and some even rushed to use it.
The school now sees the project as evidence that educational innovation does not always need expensive technology. What matters most is reading the real needs of students and the surrounding environment.
Looking ahead, the development team hopes SmartBIN can be improved further. Possible next steps include a digital reporting system for local government, composting organic waste for the school garden, and replication at other schools.
Those plans connect directly to efforts to strengthen child-friendly schools and build more sustainable school environments. From a single waste issue, SMP Negeri 11 Samarinda has shown how teachers, students, and technology can work together to create a practical solution with visible results.