COLLECTION

 

“Currently, the population of the world is consuming materials at a rate 1.7 times faster than the planet can handle” (Waters, 2021)

Materials are not just resources, they are the very building blocks of our products. Therefore, preserving them for a sustainable and circular economy is crucial. However, our current public ‘bins’ fail to convey the value of these materials. They speak the language of disposal and waste, hiding from us the true extent of our consumption. I propose a shift in perspective: let’s view a ‘bin’ as a ‘collection point’ and ‘waste’ as ‘materials’. 

Aluminium has infinite recycling potential. Recycling aluminium produces 94% less carbon than extracting and processing virgin aluminium. However, Single-use drink cans made from aluminium, along with plastic bottles, currently make up 43% of litter in the UK. 

I have designed a collection system that takes an aluminium can, celebrates the process of collecting it to be recycled, and elevates the material in doing so. My focus was to make depositing a can into an experience that is exciting, playful, engaging and rewarding for the user. Since cans have a standardised range of sizes, the collection system can be quite specific. I utilised references of pre-existing and satisfying motions like marble runs and loose change collection boxes.