Plastic waste for WiFi
The Eco-Connect tries to solve the plastic waste pollution in Antiao River while improving access to internet in the city.
PIONEER THE Eco-Connect WiFi vending machine connects a smart phone to the internet at the drop of an empty plastic bottle.
Photo courtesy of CCCC Manaragat
A vending machine-like recycling bin that gives WiFi connection when plastic waste are dropped into it was launched during the Regional Smart Communities Exposition and Networking Engagement (rSCENE) in Catbalogan City, Samar on 6 October 2026.
The Eco-Connect WiFi vending machine was developed by Samar National High School senior student Mary Angelique Cabrigas for last year’s rSCENE Idea and Reverse Pitching competition. It works like a piso-net, a vending machine that provides internet connection for a few minutes when a one-peso coin is inserted in it.
But in Eco-Connect, every plastic bottle thrown into the machine converts to two minutes of internet connection, according to the Department of Science and Technology. Catbalogan ICT officer Engr. Exequiel Cabrigas said a Raspberry Pi processor in the machine detects plastics and tin cans.
Cabrigas said the Eco-Connect tries to solve the plastic waste pollution in Antiao River while improving access to internet in the city.
He said the machine will initially be installed in Samar National School, Samar State University, Catbalogan Community College, Catbalogan 1 Elementary School, Catbalogan 3 Elementary School, and in the Imelda public plaza.
The plastic waste will be collected and brought to a processing plant, where they will then be converted into bricks or chairs, which will be donated back to the school, he added.
The rSCENE 2026 served as a collaborative platform for fairs, competitions, expositions, networking, presentations, and engagement involving individuals, institutions, innovators, students, organizations, and technology advocates.
This was the second culmination held in the country, hosted by Catbalogan City as the DoST’s partner local government unit, to demonstrate and benchmark the smart and sustainable communities program in the region.