It seems this year that one of the biggest trends/fads in the green product market is the composting trash can; particularly indoor receptacles that involve all sorts of gadgetry and extra involvement from their owners (NatureMill and the ill-fated Mio are just a few). While I still think nothing beats a turned-over pile in the backyard, composting trash cans are gaining more attention and acceptance in the home. So why not have composting trash cans in public spaces as well?
Designer Julien Bergignat figures there should be and his Envi composting trash can is his concept of a composting public trash bin that also serves as a planter. The Envi incorporates bio-reactive substances based on photo catalysis to accelerate the degradation process of biodegradable waste, remove bad smells and polluting gas. A series of levels within it help passively turn over and sift the biodegradable material into compost, which is then deposited into a removable bin at the bottom. The compost also serves as a nutrient for plants that can be grown out of the side of the Envi. These plants are not only intended to serve as a natural beautifying element, but also as a living indicator of usage. The more the Envi is utilized; the more the plants grow.
How You Will Prevent This From Working
As people and societies become more eco-conscious, more environmentally friendly public waste disposal options are inevitable. The Envi is a good first attempt at addressing more responsible public waste disposal, but the success of such a receptacle rests largely on the public putting only biodegradable material in the bin; a task that anyone who has ever walked by a public recycling bin filled with non-recyclables knows is probably way beyond the discriminating capabilities of the general population. Unlike recyclables mixed with non-recyclables, which can be automatically sorted out at processing facilities, composting is a biological process that works only when biodegradable material is present and conditions for the process to occur are ideal. It most likely wouldn’t take long for a receptacle like the Envi to get filled with all sorts of inorganic material placed in it by distracted passerbys thinking it was simply a trash can.
The Good: A composting trash can that also serves as a planter.
The Bad: The success of such a receptacle depends almost solely on the public’s knowledge of what can go in a composter and their ability to put only those items into it. The use of “bio-reactive substances” seems unnecessary if designed to facilitate natural degrading processes. Only a concept.
The Bottom-Line: Though currently only a concept for the 2009 BraunPrize design competition, and having it’s own set of unique feasability/practicality issues, the idea of something like an Envi for public spaces is intriguing.
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