Do you have a dog that understands the word “No”? Lucky you! In many cases, dogs seem to think of it as only a suggestion. If especially cheeky, they may decide that, as long as they don’t hear it (or even if they do), they’ll still do whatever they want.

This project uses a limit switch to detect whether a garbage can has been opened. If so, it plays a voice recordings of the owner telling the dog to get its (charming) muzzle out of the trash. The perfect project for dogs who keep smelling the trash for leftovers.

• Who designed it? MnMakerMan
• Core components: Arduino Uno or Nano, microSD card module, limit switch, 8-Ω speaker, LM 386 amplifier, 9- to 12-V power supply for Arduino
• Where to find it: Instructables

Proper Feeding

Arduino Pet Feeder: Amazing Projects for Cats & Dogs

Dustbins are a tricky topic in a time of extreme hygiene. Now more than ever we know the importance of being clean, of not touching things others have touched, and so on.

This dustbin can be a contributor to such practices thanks to an Arduino and the cleverness of the designer. That’s because it detects nearby movement and opens up to allow you to throw things in the garbage without any contact.

• Who designed it? Muhammad Ansar
• Core components: Arduino Uno, ultrasonic sensor HC-SR04 (generic), SG90 micro servo motor, SPST rocker switch, 9V battery (generic), 9V battery clip
• Where to find it: Hackster.io

If the previous selection isn’t to your liking – because you want to free throw stuff from across the room – this is a perfect solution. You can program your trashcan to open at the sound and frequency of a whistle so it will obey your command from a distance.

You can be both the basketball player and the coach in the match against littering.

• Who designed it? Barqunics
• Core components: Arduino Uno, 9-V battery, switch, jumper wires, male DC Barrel Jack Adapter for Arduino, 9-g servo, mini breadboard, sound sensor
• Where to find it: Hackster.io

A common practice in most cities is to have a garbage pickup schedule set for a certain time each week, where trucks go around to every street and pick up binned waste. But what if some streets are less populated than others, thus accumulating less garbage and requiring less frequent garbage pickups?

This project puts a level sensor on all garbage cans in an area and uses both trash level and time (to avoid items rotting away and producing a bad smell) to signal which garbage cans need pickup. It uses a Wi-Fi module, which also provides the bin’s location. This way, the pickup route can be planned in the most optimal way, avoiding cans that don’t yet require disposal.

This is a great project if you’ve got an Arduino 101 lying around, but if you don’t, a maker commented that they used a Raspberry Pi 3.

• Who designed it? Technovation
• Core components: Arduino 101, Arduino MKR1000, Seeed Studio base shield V2, Arduino Wi-Fi shield 101, 9-V battery, slide switch
• Where to find it: Arduino Project Hub