Hey everyone, I wanted to share my experience with automating waste collection tracking in Home Assistant. After seeing many approaches, I found a solution that combines the waste_collection_schedule integration with card_mod and MushroomCards for a sleek dashboard display. Here’s how I did it:
1. Setting Up the Integration:
I started by installing the waste_collection_schedule integration from HACS. It’s now much easier to add sensors directly from the integration, and I made sure to enable the add_days_to parameter for each sensor. This allows me to track how many days are left until the next collection.
2. Dashboard Design:
For the dashboard, I used a combination of entity cards and template cards. The entity cards display each waste type with custom colors for better visual distinction. The template cards show the next collection event and days remaining, dynamically updating based on the sensor data.
3. Template Logic:
I created a template to determine which waste type is next and how many days are left. This involved expanding the sensor entities, filtering for defined daysTo attributes, sorting by days, and selecting the first result. The template also formats the days remaining as ‘Today’ or ‘Tomorrow’ for clarity.
4. Styling with card_mod:
To enhance the visual appeal, I used card_mod to customize the icon colors for each waste type. This makes it easy to distinguish between different waste categories at a glance.
5. Final Touches:
I added a badge icon to highlight the next collection event, ensuring it’s immediately noticeable. The entire setup is both functional and visually appealing, giving me a clear overview of my waste collection schedule.
I’d like to thank the community for the inspiration and resources that made this project possible. If anyone has questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out! 