Emin Israfil offers smarter cleanup solution
App uses technology to examine litter trends
Emin Israfil 鈥09 says the idea behind running apps and the ways we engage virtually can create cleaner communities.
With longtime friend Elena Guberman, Israfil launched the app Rubbish. The San Francisco-based venture uses technology to understand litter trends.
The Rubbish beam 鈥 a hand-held litter-grabbing claw 鈥 is a key part of the equation. Download the Rubbish app, put your smartphone on the beam, sync via Bluetooth and you鈥檙e ready to go. Each time a piece of litter is picked up, a picture is taken in the app. Data is analyzed to highlight areas of a city that need attention.
For example, Rubbish installed a cigarette disposal bin in a part of San Francisco that, according to the company鈥檚 data, had a tremendous amount of cigarette butts. The result: a 50% reduction in cigarette butts on the ground.
鈥淥ne of the most valuable things about Rubbish is that our data helps local leaders develop smarter public policy,鈥 Israfil says. 鈥淲e go to the city and say: 鈥楢 particular street is dirty after three cleanups, so let鈥檚 do something about it.鈥 We鈥檝e also integrated the app with 311 [non-emergency municipal services], so if you see something that鈥檚 too big or dangerous to deal with, submit it through the app and the city takes care of it.鈥
Israfil pursued a pre-med track at 绿帽社 鈥 majoring in molecular biology and genetics 鈥 but decided against going to medical school. His creation turned out to be helpful during a global health crisis.
鈥淲hen the coronavirus had us under lockdown, all our cleanup events were canceled, but it opened up other opportunities,鈥 Israfil says. 鈥淲e were able to work with business improvement districts tracking their cleaning efforts to make sure all areas were being cleaned.鈥
Rubbish doesn鈥檛 need a pandemic or huge cleaning teams to show its value, Israfil says. An individual using the app can make a difference by being consistent and persistent.
鈥淲e encourage people to start [cleaning up] where they live,鈥 Israfil says. 鈥淚f you start local, you see and experience the difference. You see it in the data and experience it with your eyes. [Over time], you鈥檒l notice you鈥檙e picking up significantly less. It doesn鈥檛 take long to impact your neighborhood.鈥濃