Garbage In, Good Design Out

Product Background

I had the chance to travel to Utrecht in the Netherlands this past summer and one of my favorite examples of good design that I found there was actually a trash can and recycling wall!

User Experience

Normally, after enjoying a meal at a fast food restaurant where the patrons clean their own tables, the moment comes for each diner to awkwardly attempt to empty their tray into the trash can without touching the lid that separates the trash can from the interior of the restaurant.

This problem has been solved with the receptacle relocated to the top of the trash can to a certain extent, but many restaurants still use the old standby with the opening on the side with a vertically swinging door.

This restaurant cleverly put a handle that, when pulled, automatically opens the trash can door. This is a superior design in that it allows users to avoid touching the garbage receptacle door and instead use a lever to open the door further. This design could be improved even further if the handle had anti-microbial coating on it.

The recycling wall behind the trash can also provides a much more interesting and artistic way of recycling glass bottles than throwing them in a bin.