Every year in Italy we produce more than 16 kg of electronic waste per person, but less than 40% is recycled properly. The result? Dispersion of pollutants, loss of precious raw materials, and growth of illegal trafficking. To reverse the trend, the Ecoped and Ridomus Consortia of the SAFE Hub have created MyRaee, the first free app that, with a simple snapshot, recognizes WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and immediately indicates where to take them for repair or safe recycling. The project has received the sponsorship of the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE).
Easy to use. Thanks to an artificial intelligence system, visual recognition occurs; just photograph the faulty product and if it is still repairable, the app shows the nearest authorized service center, with useful information about the legal warranty of 24 months. If it needs to be recycled, the app indicates the available municipal collection points, viewable on an interactive map integrated with Google Maps.
MyRaee not only guides citizens to the correct disposal of waste but also informs them about their rights to free collection, offering educational content on the value of recycling and the environmental impact of WEEE. In case of problems with collection services, it is possible to make a report: the Consortia themselves will intervene to support retailers in compliance with the rules.
Available for free on the App Store and Google Play, MyRaee transforms a simple gesture – taking a photo – into a concrete contribution to the green revolution.
The project was conceived to help citizens better understand the electrical and electronic waste sector and to become protagonists of conscious choices. It is an easy-to-use tool that raises awareness about the importance of repair and, when this is not possible, about proper disposal. “It represents our vision: digital innovation at the service of sustainability and the circular economy - commented Giuliano Maddalena, Director of the Ecoped and Ridomus Consortia -. The app goes both in the direction of extending the life cycle of equipment, stimulating and facilitating repair, and in the direction of improving the collection and recycling of electrical and electronic waste”.
