An app designed to improve the efficiency of recycling was the winner of the latest C5 Alliance Idea-athon. 

The annual competition which is organised by C5, the pan island technology solutions provider, poses community-based challenges to teams of industry experts including the States of Guernsey Innovation Lab, C5 Alliance employees and bursary students.  

This year the problem statements to be addressed included: How can we promote and increase the effectiveness of recycling on island? 

The winning idea was an app called ‘In the bag’ which will scan difficult items of rubbish to ensure they are correctly disposed of by informing the user which bag they should go into.  

The data collected from the app will then be shared with the States of Guernsey in order to improve local recycling.  

After a day spent coming up with solutions to all three challenges, the teams selected their best idea and presented to a panel of judges comprising of Scott Workman OBE, Chief Executive Officer of C5, Jason Moriarty, Chief Operating Officer at the States of Guernsey, Deputy Lindsay De Sausmarez and Lucy Ann Kirby, Head of Digital, Economic Development at the Digital Greenhouse. 

Mr Champion said: “This event demonstrates how innovative and enthusiastic islanders from all sectors are able to use technology as a creative solution. All the teams came up with excellent ideas and the judges had a really difficult time selecting which one would go on to be developed by the students over their six–week summer placement.” 

Chief Executive Officer of C5 Alliance, Scott Workman said: “It is really important for our employees to practice their innovation skills, especially when they are working collectively on solutions that will benefit our community and others further afield. The students bring an additional perspective and knowledge from their university studies and they gain a lot from the process as they are working with experts, networking and developing essential leadership skills. 

We have high expectations after the success of last year’s project; the Coastal Clean Up app which we recently presented to a meeting of the British Irish Council and the Marine Litter Symposium, hosted by the Scottish Government. The app, which was developed by last year’s students, aims to help tackle marine pollution and is being launched later this year.” 

Read more about the Coastal Clean Up app here.