Even if you recycle as much as you can, surely you throw away a fair amount every day and so does your neighbor and your neighbor’s neighbor and so on. It may sound elementary, but have you ever stopped to think about where that garbage truck really goes when it hauls your trash from the curb? That’s what M.I.T. Senseable City Lab researchers set out to discover with their Trash Track program. They want to uncover possible inefficiencies in recycling and sanitation systems.

Researchers have asked volunteers in New York City and Seattle to help affix electronic tags to a variety of items they throw away this summer. The tags transmit signals to cell phone towers so their location can be tracked. From an experimental Starbuck’s cup that was tagged and tossed first, you can see how the roundabout route is recorded above. The lab is especially interested in trash that makes an big impact on the environment like electronic waste, plastics, tires and Styrofoam.

Want to know what the researchers discovered? Events to present the results will be held in Seattle and NYC on September 17. Viewers will be able to see the trash moving in real time thanks to an internet presentation. Until then, keep checking back into the Trash Track blog for updates and fun features like street views of trash movement.

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