Indoor Storage Unit for Recyclable Waste

Abstract

Problem Statement:
The project started with a request from IKEA to contribute more to the environment. The task for this project, issued by IKEA, was to create a concept for a free-standing indoor storage unit for recyclable waste. The unit should hold at least seven different types of waste: cardboard, plastic, paper, metal, glass, deposit waste and some smaller hazardous waste, such as batteries.

Purpose:
Draw conclusions about the current recycling situation in Swedish households and based on this, create a concept for an indoor household storage unit for recyclable waste.

Method:
The project consisted of two main parts. The first was a market survey, conducted among 22 households in Sweden. The group of interviewees were quite diverse, with a focus on Swedish households in general and young, single households and households with younger children in particular. The interviewees reside in houses, row houses or apartments.

In the second part of the project a concept was developed from the basis of the information from the market survey. This part of the project started with creating a Brief, Function Analysis and a Mission Statement. Some of the other methods that were
used throughout the project were brainstorming, synectics, building mock-ups, sketching, benchmarking and several evaluation matrixes.

Conclusion:
From the market survey a number of interesting conclusions were found. One was that most people store their recyclable waste in paper bags. Another conclusion was that almost
everybody recycles batteries, newspaper and deposit waste. A vast majority also expressed a wish to place a potential storage unit close to the origin of the waste. In addition it was requested that the waste be hidden away when stored.

When looking at houses and apartments one of the differences were that apartments are a lot smaller with no room for extra storage, but apartments usually have better pick up services. Those living in houses usually own cars and can, if lacking good pick up services, drive the waste to a nearby recycling station. Four guidelines were also set up from the market survey: easy to use, easy to clean, odorless, environmentally friendly. The final concept was called Tilt. It has a wooden frame that holds five plastic boxes at a 15° angle. This gradient allows the storage unit to optimize the storage space. The boxes are all the same size, which is the size of a paper bag. They are opened by pulling the handle that runs all along the front. Both the plastic box and the wooden frame should be manufactured from recyclable or recycled materials. The boxes are lined on the inside with reusable bags made from a robust, but environmentally friendly plastic. The bag also comes in a version that has dividing wall to create two
compartments for storage and maximize the number of different types of waste that can be stored.
On the top of the storage unit there is a triangular hatch that leads to an extra compartment with a bag for batteries or light bulbs. In order for the user to be able to place objects on the top and at the same it use the top storage, the hatch received it’s
particular shape. The plastic boxes protrude out from the frame slightly. This gives the storage unit a unique shape, which communicates something new. On today’s market there is a lack of good products for storage of indoor recycling. Hopefully this storage
unit will become the a symbol for recycling in the future.

• author: Jeppsson, Nina and Persson, Maria
• supervisor: Karl-Axel Andersson
• organization: Innovation
• course: MMK920
• year: 2008
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Technology and Engineering
• keywords: environmentally friendly, IKEA, indoor storage, Recycling, sorting
• language: English
• id: 1496292
• date added to LUP: 2009-10-27 08:58:57
• date last changed: 2010-02-01 14:40:04