PROJECT: QUESTIONABLE BIN Benjamin Hurlow 14/08/2015

Brief- Project sunlight  What is it? – to create awareness of suitability and take a step forward to a better future. (Unilever)

Areas of focus for project sunlight  Fighting Child Hunger / Food poverty in the Underdeveloped World  Environment (e.g. Recycling, Waste) and Food Waste (e.g. Teaching children about the good use of food resources and not wasting)  Hand Washing, Sanitation, Access to clean drinking water and their impact on child mortality for the developing world.

Recycling in the U.K  Up to 6% of the rubbish that ends up in the dustbin could be recycled.  The unreleased energy contained in the average dustbin each year could power a television for 5,000 hours.  9 out of 10 people would recycle more if it were made easier. (Wrap.org.uk) (Recycling Guide.org)

Plastic  275,000 tonnes of plastic are used each year in the UK, that's about 15 million bottles per day.  Most families throw away about 40kg of plastic per year, which could otherwise be recycled.  The use of plastic in Western Europe is growing about 4% each year.  Plastic can take up to 500 years to decompose. (Wrap.org.uk) (Recycling Guide.org)

Aluminium  24 million tones of aluminum is produced annually, 51,000 tonnes of which ends up as packaging in the UK.  If all the cans in the UK were recycled, we would need 14 million fewer dustbins.  £36,000,000 worth of aluminum is thrown away each year.  Aluminum cans can be recycled and ready to use in just 6 weeks. (Wrap.org.uk) (Recycling Guide.org)

How do we separate all those materials  1) Tipping floor  2) Drum feeder  3) Initial sorters.  4) Large star screens  5) Second sorters  6) Medium star screens 7) Glass sorter 8) Magnetic metal sorter 9) Eddy current separator. 10) Infrared lasers 11) Baler 12) Landfill

Examples of recycled projects in pubic spaces

Cardiff city centre current recycling bins  Practical, good for wear and tear. Cover from rain. Easy to use  Not very eye-catching, doesn't separate or promote recycling. Not convenient

Primary research  Other bins include the large recycle bins built around lampposts on Queen street in the city centre of Cardiff.  my ethnographic research revealed that these bins were- -Largely unused -Not noticeable -Ignored in favour of normal bins

How could I encourage recycling?  Show examples of it in public  Make recycling bins more available  Promote recycling  Design products to be used for recycling  Obvious examples of recycling  Make it a part of consumers lives  Force people to be aware

Specific brief  In the city centre of Cardiff and generally in the public we are not inspired enough to change our ways and go the extra mile to recycle and re-use. For my design there is a need to create a product to be used in a public space that promotes and encourages recycling. This can be achieved creating something that stands out and catches peoples attention, whilst providing amusement and interest

Interesting recycling bin projects

Concept designs

trash ball Focus – interactive Feedback -fun -predictable -Causes a mess if people miss - would probably draw a young crowd whilst an older demographic would ignore it

The recycle tree Focus – a strong message Feedback -fun -interesting - Very noticeable -Too simple -Reminds people of the connection between nature and recycling

Tyre bin Focus – re-use and recycle Feedback -fun -interesting - Not noticeable -Too simple -Been done before

Focus – intimidation Feedback -fun -different - Very noticeable -complicated -Wouldn't work during the day very well

Initially developed : the tree Reasons  Specific to one type of rubbish  The ideal is tied to function ( recycling is related to the environment)  Interesting, guaranteed to catch your eye in the city centre

Development

-A round base was chosen to provide stability. -An abstract tree shape appealed more to people when asked. - Continuing with the tree theme, I chose to mimic the “woodpecker hole in a tree” appearance to dispose of the bottle caps.

Further development  New approach was interactive.  feedback received indicated the shape was more tree like and refined.  Next stage would be modelling to see practical applications.

Modelling

New idea for a bin  It was decided to develop this new idea due to the following reasons - it was different to the current bins available in the market -The spring provided interactivity -Unlike the tree the use of the product was more obvious and more functional -Feedback from groups seemed positive

Question mark feedback

Development  A more traditional bin shape was chosen to help users to understand its purpose.  However, development is needed to understand how it could be manufactured and perform optimally as a public recycle bin.

Testing  The testing reviled that the shape was interesting and aesthetically pleasing. In addition the wind rocked the bin, settling the rubbish inside.

 By using Photoshop with the models I was able to test a variety of different lid shapes and sizes.  By doing this I was able to pick a size and shape that is aesthetically pleasing and functional

Social media  It is the hope that pictures of the questionable bins will trend on social media, increasing the popularity and awareness of the bins existence, prompting people to recycle.

Costing and future prospects  If the questionable bins prove to be popular in Cardiff and other areas around the U.K it could be developed in the following ways: -LED lights running off solar or wind power to increase recycling in the dark -other models with different tops such as exclamation marks -smaller versions for houses and small environments

Thank you for listening