Colorado mountain landscape

Indian Peaks, Colorado — by Sean Xu

Sorting made simple.

The app that gives you the right answer, for any item.
Get hyper-local rules. Live from your exact location.

You know the feeling?

You know the feeling?

Americans are ready

Research consistently shows people want to recycle but lack the confidence to do it correctly, confused by rules that vary by community, and evolve over time.

80%

of Americans

believe recycling makes a difference and is worth the effort

33%

admit to "wish cycling": putting items in their bin hoping they might get recycled

75%

think a QR code at the bin would make the right recycling decisions easier

25%

of items

collected for recycling are contaminated and can't be recycled

Sources: The Recycling Partnership — Consumer Insights on Packaging, Labels & Claims for Recycling (2022); Recycling Confidence Index (2022).

Donut chart: 21% of recyclable material is recycled, 3% lost at MRFs, 76% lost to trash in homes

MRF: Materials Recovery Facility — the plant where collected recyclables are sorted and processed.

Where recyclables are lost

Of all recyclable material generated in U.S. homes, only 21% is actually recycled. The remaining 79% is lost, and 76% of that never leaves the household.

The biggest opportunity to fix recycling isn't at the facility. It's at the bin, in the moment a person decides where something goes.

Source: The Recycling Partnership — State of Recycling Report (2024).

Launching August 2026

Frictionless sorting.
Accessible to all.

Consumers discover POUBELLE.AI web app through Near Field Communication (NFC) or Quick Response (QR) codes placed on existing partners' bins.
Get sorting instructions in under 2 seconds.
No download, no account needed, no confusion.

Person scanning a POUBELLE.AI bin sticker with a smartphone POUBELLE.AI bin sticker with NFC and QR code

Zero Waste Hierarchy

Every scan teaches.

POUBELLE.AI guides users through each level of the zero waste pyramid, building habits for sustainable resource management.

Decline - Rethink - Avoid

Reduce - Rent - Share

Reuse - Repair - Donate

Recycle - Compost

Hazardous Drop-Off

Responsible Landfill

Inspired by Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA)