📌About the Event

My Project Is Trash is a 2026 electronics design challenge organised by the element14 Community, inviting makers, engineers, developers, and electronics enthusiasts to create innovative technology for smarter recycling and waste management. Participants can develop projects such as automated waste-sorting systems, smart trash cans, refuse-truck tracking solutions, recycling reminders, or other electronics-based solutions connected to recycling and refuse. Five selected applicants will receive a sponsored hardware kit to build their projects.

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ℹ️ Event Details

• Organizer: element14 Community
• Theme: Smart recycling, waste management and refuse-related electronics
• Mode of Conduct: Online
• Participants first submit a project proposal explaining what they intend to build and how they plan to use the supplied hardware.
• 5 applicants will be selected as official Sponsored Challengers and receive the challenge kit free of charge.

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📅 Important Dates

• Application Deadline: 18 October 2026, 11:59 PM UK time
• Sponsored Challengers Announced: 31 October 2026
• Build Period Begins: 6 November 2026
• Build Period: 6 November – 13 December 2026
• Final Project Submission Deadline: 13 December 2026, 11:59 PM UK time
• Winners Announced: 8 January 2027

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🎯 Eligibility & Rules

• Eligibilty:
• Participants need to register/login to the element14 Community to submit an application.
• Applicants must propose an electronics project related to recycling, refuse or waste management.
• Applications should explain the project concept and how the sponsored kit components will be used.
• Only 5 applicants will receive the Sponsored Challenger Kit free of charge.
• Sponsored Challengers must incorporate the supplied hardware into their project.
• Each Challenger must publish at least:- 5 forum thread progress updates
• 1 final Project Blog
• All required posts must be completed before the final project deadline.
• Unsuccessful sponsored-kit applicants can still participate by obtaining the relevant hardware themselves and complying with the same challenge terms.

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🏆 Benefits for the Participants

• First Place – Approx. value USD 1,305
• TUF Gaming Laptop, 16-inch FHD+, AMD Ryzen 7, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD
• Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Expansion Chassis with DisplayPort
• Second Place – Approx. value USD 1,187
• 13-inch MacBook Neo
• Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Expansion Chassis with DisplayPort
• Third Place – Approx. value USD 331
• Thunderbolt 3 PCIe Expansion Chassis with DisplayPort
• Finisher Prize – Approx. value USD 76
• Available to participants completing the required 5 Forum Posts + 1 Project Blog
• Remote-control garbage truck
• Thunderbolt 3 Mini Docking Station