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Dataset By Humans
On requestObjects & environment

Waste & Recycling Image Dataset

Real household and street waste photographed as it is found (dirty, crushed, mixed), for sorting robots and recycling AI.

See pricing · from $490Get free samples

On request: this dataset is collected to your specification after you order. Typically 2–3 weeks for 1,000 images.

Pricing

Fixed prices for standard bundles, collected to your spec. Pick a package and a license to see the exact total, or ask for a custom quote.

Bundle packages compared
FeatureStarterProCustom
Images5002,000Any quantity
Metadata and topic labels✓Included✓Included✓Included
Human-written captions–Not included✓IncludedOptional
Boxes, masks, transcriptions–Not included–Not includedOptional
Datasheet, license, checksums✓Included✓Included✓Included
Research license$490$0.98 / image$1,490$0.75 / imageQuote
Commercial license$1,250$2.50 / image$3,900$1.95 / imageQuote
Exclusive license$4,900$9.80 / image$14,900$7.45 / imageQuote

How ordering works

  1. 1Choose a package and license, then pay a 50% deposit at checkout.
  2. 2Within 48 hours we confirm the spec and send 10–20 sample photos before full collection.
  3. 3We collect and deliver in parts so you can review early. Typically 2–3 weeks for 1,000 images.
  4. 4Pay the balance and download the final bundle.

Custom quote

Need another quantity, an Enterprise license or annotations for this topic? Available here:

  • Material labels
  • Bounding boxes per item
  • Segmentation masks
Request a custom quote →

Overview

Recycling AI must recognise a crushed bottle covered in food, a wet cardboard box or a plastic bag tangled with other waste. Clean product photos do not prepare models for this.

This dataset photographs real waste in real conditions (bins, streets, sorting areas, markets) and labels material types so models can learn to sort what they will actually see.

Sample photos

Real photos from this topic, shown at reduced resolution. Full-resolution samples are emailed on request.

Real sample photos for this topic are being prepared.

We only show photos we captured ourselves, never stock or AI-generated images. Request samples below and we will email you photos that match your requirements.

Get free full-resolution samples

We email you a sample pack for this topic.

Used only to send your samples. Privacy policy.

Technical specifications

Capture device
Modern smartphones (device model recorded per image in EXIF)
File format
JPEG (original HEIC/RAW on request)
Resolution
Native sensor resolution, typically 12 MP or higher
Materials
Plastic (by type), paper, cardboard, metal, glass, organic, mixed
Conditions
Clean, dirty, crushed, wet, mixed piles
Metadata
metadata.jsonl with device, exposure, timestamp, dimensions, topic labels
Privacy processing
Faces and license plates blurred, GPS removed
License
Research, Commercial, Enterprise or Exclusive

Use cases

  • Sorting robots

    Train detectors and classifiers for automated material recovery and sorting lines.

  • Smart bins

    Recognise items at the point of disposal to guide correct sorting.

  • Litter monitoring

    Detect litter in streets, waterways and public spaces.

  • Environmental research

    Study waste composition in Southeast Asian urban environments.

How this data is collected

  1. 1Captured on a smartphone by a person
  2. 2Duplicates and near-duplicates removed
  3. 3Blurry and broken images filtered out
  4. 4Faces and license plates detected and blurred
  5. 5Every image reviewed by a person
  6. 6GPS stripped; device EXIF kept
  7. 7Labels, captions and metadata.jsonl generated
  8. 8Datasheet and license packaged with the delivery
Read our full process →

Provenance & legal

  • 100% captured by people: no scraping, no generative AI
  • Datasheet documenting collection, processing and limitations
  • Commercial license that lets you keep models trained on the data
  • Supports training-data documentation under the EU AI Act
Licensing options →

Topic-specific notes

  • • Documents, labels with personal names and addresses are blurred.
  • • Any faces in frame are blurred; people are not the subject of photos.

Example metadata record

One line of metadata.jsonl per image. Fields vary with the annotation options you choose; values shown are illustrative.

{
  "id": "wst-000433",
  "file": "images/wst-000433.jpg",
  "topic": "waste",
  "materials": [
    "pet-bottle",
    "aluminium-can",
    "food-waste"
  ],
  "condition": "mixed-pile",
  "device": {
    "make": "Xiaomi",
    "model": "14"
  },
  "width": 4096,
  "height": 3072
}

Each delivery contains:

waste-recycling-sorting-v1/
├── images/
├── metadata.jsonl
├── DATASHEET.md
├── LICENSE.pdf
└── checksums.sha256

Frequently asked questions

Can you separate plastics by resin type?

Where the resin code is visible or the item is identifiable, yes. Mention the categories you need in your request.

Do you include mixed piles?

Yes, single items and mixed piles can both be collected, with per-item boxes on request.

How does payment work for a bundle?

You pay a 50% deposit at checkout and the balance when we deliver the final bundle. Free sample photos are available above before you order, and the deposit is refunded in full if we cannot deliver the agreed spec.

Why is a bundle so much cheaper per image than a single image?

A bundle is planned and collected as one job, so capture, review and privacy processing cost far less per photo. Single images are priced for buyers who need just a few specific photos.

What is the difference between non-exclusive and Exclusive?

With Research or Commercial we may license the photos collected for your order to other buyers later. With Exclusive they are never licensed to anyone else or added to our catalog.

Can I order a different quantity or extra annotations?

Yes. Request a custom quote with the quantity, annotations and deadline you need. Prices per image fall as quantity grows.

Need a variation?

Different angles, lighting, locations, quantity or labels? Describe it and we reply within 48 hours with matching samples and a quote.

Request a quote →

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