To be sustainable, an object must not only be fabricated from renewable material but must also promote sustainability in its function. How do you promote sustainability with a simple object? By building an object that changes the way an average person thinks and acts towards improving their role in the environment. A combination waste/recycle bin is our solution to this problem. The design makes a very strong statement about recycling visually and physically.
Visually, the recycling portion of the bin stands above the conventional trash making it easier to use and more visible. The forward-thinking design of the upper bin includes pieces fastened together with sleek metal hardware, while the lower, ‘past’, idea of trash has the bin fastened together with interlocking wood joinery. The upper recycling portion of the bin has been designed with a removable partition to separate between paper and bottles and suited to fit a paper grocery bag on either side. This broadens the concept of recycling to include the waste bag itself. Appropriate openings on the lid designate paper/cardboard from glass/plastic. The recycling portion is also larger; suggesting the amount of non-recyclable waste should be reduced.
Physically, the bin makes it somewhat of an effort to throw away trash because of its operation. You must slide the larger top down (by way of cut out handles) in order to throw something away and must lift it back into place when finished. The bin’s operation does two things. One, it is a positive reinforcement for the act of recycling items, and two, it encourages the user to take recycling seriously and promotes the purchasing of recyclable items in the grocery store. Taking a more proactive approach to recycling by being aware of the packaging of items we purchase is the ultimate goal with this design. We believe objects, like this recycle bin, that train us to think and act towards a more sustainable future are essential to progressing the ideology of tomorrow.