Sort Your Trash Can
CALLING ON CREATIVES TO DESIGN THE FUTURE TRASH CAN FOR SORTING OUR RESOURCES Idea and co-creation competition
1ST PRIZE € 5000
GENERAL DESCRIPTION The average Dane generates about 624 kg. of waste per year. 12% of the daily waste is recycled and as Denmark’s largest waste mangement company, Vestforbrænding, we want to increase this amount.
By sorting our trash we can reduce our overall solid waste significantly, and we already have the facilities to start recycling more resources.
We know that people are much more inclined to sort their trash if the waste bin is placed close to their house – e.g. in their garage or next to their main entrance door. But having a large waste container just next to your kitchen window easily disrupt the harmony of the citizen’s ideal picture of a home.
Recycling starts with sorting our everyday trash and we need your help to make it easier.
BACKGROUND – by Ove E. Dalsgaard, Chairman of the Board at Vestforbrænding
Most municipalities want to give citizens the ability to sort multiple types of waste directly at their homes. For that to be possible you often need one or several relatively large bins on each citizen’s property. An example of this is the 4-chamber dustbin. It is a 370 L waste bin which makes it possible to sort 4 different types of waste. But such a large waste holder doesn’t always fit neatly into its surroundings.
Citizens are obviously very different. But the vast majority want the ability to sort their waste more than they do today; and to sort as close to their homes as possible.
One thing is certain: we want to make it easier for citizens to sort their waste.
So what happens? It is a very hard question to answer. Because citizens are not just citizens. They are a collection of very diverse people with different needs. There are large families and small families, single people, older people and some with special needs. Some people need big bins, others need small bins. Some citizens would like to have their garbage cans out of sight, while others want to flash their environmental awareness. Some want their trash out by the garage, others want it right outside the kitchen window.
A good waste solution is flexible while supporting easy routines and solutions for the citizens when they need to sort the waste correctly.
CHALLENGE BRIEF AND JUDGING CRITERIA
TIMEFRAME
The idea challenge starts the 28th of July 2012 and ends at the 28th of October 2012 at midnight.
PARTICIPANTS
This is an open international challenge where design students can participate, while everybody can comment on design-ideas. No one who has taken part in creating the challenge itself will or may participate, but may supply designers with suggestions to modifications.
YOUR IDEAS ARE PROTECTED
The designer who uploads a design holds all proprietary rights to the design.
To emphasise these regulations, the design platform Join.dk has been created in collaboration with, amongst others, Danish Design Association and is financed by the Danish Government.
Should you encounter any violations, please notify Join.dk at [email protected], which serves as the independent secretariat.
CONCEPT OF IDEA CHALLENGE WITH CO-CREATION
This is an idea challenge and not a traditional design contest. The waste management company Vestforbrænding wants to get new creative inspiration to what the future trashcan might look like and how we can change people’s behaviour around trash separation and sorting.
The ideal process is to upload a brainstorm sketch of your initial thoughts as early as possible, while end users, Vestforbrænding and everybody else on Join.dk can give suggestions for improvements of your idea. If lots of people like and comment on your design or idea and you also implement modifications, your design will get more positive attention.
Any designer can also go forth as if this was a traditional design challenge where the designer uploads his or her idea at deadline, but could miss out on the advantages social media and co-creation can offer.
UPLOADING DESIGNS ON JOIN.DK
By uploading a file you certify that you have the right to distribute this picture and that it does not violate the Terms of Service. If the image is too large to fit the screen, it will be resized automatically. If the image is smaller than the specified width, it will automatically be scaled up to match it. Post your latest sketch, collage, 3D model or scanned note on a napkin.
All designers must write or illustrate the material, from which the design should be produced.
For each iteration you can upload one picture. If you want to show several pictures together (e.g. front side and back side of your design next to each other) then you have to make a collage and upload it in a single picture.
Sizes – best fit, not obligatory:
Vertical orientation: 340 x 620 pixels Horizontal orientation: 690 x 300 pixels
JUDGING CRITERIA
Each representative from the advisory board chooses their own favorite design from their expertise area. Each representative’s favorite design will receive an recognition-paper by mail and be publicly recognized as the best within the specific category and be announced on the websites sortyourtrashcan.com, join.dk and vestfor.dk.
The grand prize winning trash can design is the best combination of all expertise areas represented in the advisory board:
Behavior change: The design that from a psychological perspective encourages people to sort their trash in either paper, glass, plastic and metal in the most convincing way.
Design communication: The design that communicates in the most creative way concerning coloring, symbols and text to optimize usability and/or showing of environmental awareness.
Flexibility: A flexible design that takes in mind that municipalities and citizens have different needs in sorting trash – e.g. ability to change the waste-chambers and/or different needs in sizing for trash cans.
Context: A nice looking design that fits into the context of Danish private households next to villas in a garden or garage.
Functionality: The design with highest functionality concerning emptying in garbage trucks, dragging, wheels, lid opening and closing, affordable and durable material for the trash can.
SELECTION PROCESS
Each representative from the advisory board chooses their favorite design from their expertise area (see Advisory Board) and hence gives the design one vote.
If every judge chooses different favorite designs, they choose their second favorite. If all judges still choose different designs, they choose their third favorite design etc. – until at least two judges choose the same.
If three or more among the advisory board representatives all agree on disapproving a design to win, they can veto and all judges have to choose their next favorite. This process will go forth until at least three of the advisory board representatives have chosen the same design, and the remaining cannot convince the others to continue, and will win the grand prize of €5000.
WINNER ANNOUNCING
A few days after 28th of October when the challenge has finished, the advisory board will gather to evaluate all designs and find a winner. Shortly after the advisory board’s decision, the winner will be personally notified. The designer does not have to meet up to receive the prize.
The winner will also be announced on the websites www.sortyourtrashcan.com, www.join.dk and www.vestfor.com no later than November the 5th 2012. All other designs will remain on the website Join.dk, unless the designer asks to have them removed.
PRIZES
The winner of the best combination of the five categories will get €5000 based on the advisory board’s selection.
The winner of the challenge does not necessarily get his or her design produced. If Vestforbrænding wishes to produce a design after the challenge, the designer still have all the rights to the design and will be notified regarding further negotiation, or create a closed competition between a few designers if they wish to participate.
EARLY BIRD AWARDS
First 10 design ideas will take part in a lucky draw of €200. The design does not have to be complete, but should to some extend illustrate that the designer has read the criteria. Only one design per designer is included in the draw.
Designers uploading brainstorm ideas or finished designs early will also get a chance to win an iPad 3 the 1st of October.
This is to encourage a more innovative process where co-creation can help the designers to get closer to the users and their needs.
CO-CREATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: €200 for best suggestions to modifications on a design.
Join.dk will perform the selection process. Only designers and end users are candidates. All winner announcements will be shown at www.sortyourtrashcan.com and www.join.dk.
DESIGNS WILL BE PRESENTED AT CONFERENCE
Apart from the prizes, all designs get a chance to get exposure at the conference ‘Synergier på Tværs’ the 1st of November where the Danish Environmental Minister is one of the special guests. The conference takes place after the challenge deadline is over, but before the advisory board has evaluated whom the winner is. There is no specified selection process for which designs will get the most exposure, but there is a probability that designs with many comments and several modifications during the process will get more attention.
PUBLIC PROFILE AND PUBLIC DESIGN
As a designer, you will get a public profile on the co-creation platform Join.dk. When the designer uploads a finished design idea or brainstorm sketch, everybody will be able to see the design and who the creator is. You can always delete your profile and/or design if you no longer wish to be represented on the site.
QUESTIONS? More background material can be found at: www.sortyourtrashcan.com
Questions can be answered by writing Vesterbrænding or the independent secretariat at Join.dk.
Write an email to Vestforbrænding: [email protected]
Write an email to the independent secretariat: [email protected]
We strive to answer questions within a maximum of two days.
Visit Vestforbrænding at www.vestfor.com