Problem

This design challenge required choosing one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a starting point. Affordable and clean energy, including recycling, has always been a personal concern. Increasing sorting and treatment of food waste are of prominence that Naturvårdsverket listed as one of Sweden's milestones.

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Approach

Reviewing the literature showed that methods inspired by Behavioral Design could be effective. Therefore, I designed a smart waste container that encourages tenants in shared corridors to separate and recycle food waste. The design process started with brainstorming sessions using the brainwriting method, followed by initial sketching and an interview to get feedback on the proposed design.

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Results

The final concept was a steel container with a cover inspired by the PAC-MAN™ character. It includes a drawer to store recycling bags, ventilation mesh, weight sensor and a display screen. The container is powered by transparent solar cells integrated into the hexagonal shape of the cover.

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The interface of the screen is designed with accessibility options. It uses informational tools to encourage recycling, such as displaying relevant statistics (collected waste, generated energy, the distance that bus can drive, or the duration of lighting a bulb). Moreover, it utilises social norms and competition by displaying a recycling scoreboard and adding achievements. Additionally, it can be used by municipalities to shows customised informational leaflets.