Fully developed within the company of La Boissière des Landes, the terminal is also equipped with Artificial intelligence named Alis’IA.
Each year, 46 million inkjet cartridges are sold in France and 85% of them are thrown in the household garbage despite their harmfulness to the environment (lead, copper, plastic …).
Faced with this strong ecological challenge, the company SRDi, specialists in the collection, processing and distribution of empty ink cartridges, imagined an intelligent collection point called WISEE. Equipped with artificial intelligence, the WISEE terminal detects the model and status of the empty ink cartridges dropped off to see if they can be reused.
Checking these criteria, the terminal estimates their value and pays it either in vouchers or a donation to an association. While the environmental benefit of this device is obvious, its economic interest is also one of its main assets. By distributing vouchers, the company hopes to see an increase of its supply of empty ink cartridges.
“We were looking for a concrete and lasting solution to encourage consumers to deposit cartridges in collection equipment provided for this purpose. We then had the idea to design a connected terminal that allows to promote in a very direct way their eco-gestures. Moreover, thanks to this device we know its filling rate and thus optimise our travel,” explained Jean-François Jacques, Development Director of SRDi.
Installed in all partnered supermarkets, this unique collection point distributes vouchers to consumers or offers them to make a donation up to the amount displayed at the association of their choice. The amount of vouchers or donations will vary depending on the model and condition of the cartridge deposited.
SRDi company was created in 2005 by Pierre-Marie Coutand. She is based in La Boissière des Landes, in Vendée. For more than two years, SRDi has been working on the WISEE terminal devices, an efficient, intelligent and secure solution, to collect empty ink cartridges individually from end users. WISEE was created by the R&D centre of SRDi and is manufactured by a specialised French company.
“WISEE is one of the only mass distribution devices that will allow consumers to earn the money. For us it is important to value economically every eco-gesture and of us associated with the causes that drives us (the League against cancer, Institute Curie, etc.). So this initiative supports the purchasing power of households and also allows associations to advance in their struggles or research,” added Jacques.
A patent is pending for this unique device and unique in the world.
To find out more about the WISEE terminals, contact wisee@srdi.net.
