You’ll have a bit of control over what you choose for the motion sensor, motor, and jumper wires. You can pick up a pack of six SG90 motors from Amazon for a little under $12. A 10-pack of the HC-SR04 sensors costs $13 on Amazon, and if you need some jumper wires you can pick up a bunch for about $10. Finally, you’ll need the trash can itself to pull the whole project together. All in all, you could get this entire build together for under $100 — giving you a much cheaper option than just buying a smart trash bin.
The idea from here is to create a fully automated trash can that will open itself up when you’re approaching to throw something away. The lid will pop open when you come within 30 cm of it, so it can really become a big quality-of-life upgrade. Of course, you’ll just want to make sure your pet doesn’t figure out how to open the lid if they’re known to be a garbage eater.
Ultimately, this is a nice and simple project to get started on for pretty cheap. It’ll allow you to see if you like working with the Arduino platform and if you want to invest further in the ecosystem. There are plenty of different projects to work on — like a smart vacuum — so even if a smart garbage can isn’t your cup of tea, you’re sure to find something that is.
