One Seattle teen's idea can make a huge difference in how we manage trash in our country.
16-year-old Nikolas Ioannou has created an app called "Wastify." The app takes a photo of the item you're trying to dispose of, like a water bottle or a used napkin, and tells you how to properly dispose of that item.
The app indicates whether something can be recycled, thrown in the garbage, or composted.
"Wastify" also gives you options for circumstance. For example, if the app determines that you took a picture of tin foil, it will give you two options: recycle it if it is unused and throw it in the garbage if it has food or grease on it.
Ioannou's inspiration for the app came from China's decision to no longer accept recycling from the United States.
He wanted to find a solution that could change the game on how we manage waste in our country.
Ioannou plans to leave high school early and will start at the University of Washington in this fall to major in computer science.