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New bin makes waste disposal fun

An iconic litter bin inspired by passenger liners of the past has been created with the hope of reducing seaside waste. With support from Arun District Council and its waste contractor Biffa, students from the University of East London have been working with GreenSeas Trust on the BinForGreenSeas pilot project to help solve the marine environmental crisis.

Littlehampton beach was the focal point and having visited for a litter pick in October, nine of the students worked on designs for a bin that would encourage people to throw their rubbish away.

"We are very excited to have reached this milestone and chosen the winning bin design," explains Fazilette Khan, GreenSeas founding trustee. "Changing behaviour to stop people leaving their litter on beaches or discarding it into waterways is challenging. We are optimistic this bin design will help do just that."

The winning design by 19-year-old Laura Monica Carusato (pictured with fellow students, judges and lecturers from the University of East London) takes its inspiration from the ventilation shafts of the majestic passenger liners of a bygone era. Says Laura: "It's designed so people don't just place or drop plastic waste in the bin, they throw it in, so it becomes fun, something children and adults can enjoy, like playing basketball."

The students, all in the first year of their product design course, showcased innovative and forward-thinking designs using 3D models. Biffa business development manager Karen Sherwood says of the project:

"Laura's prototype won for its originality of design, ease of use, and because it would be practical to clean and empty. "Every year, Biffa's cleaning staff collects and disposes of many tonnes of waste that are so thoughtlessly left on Arun's beaches."

The beach study involved 20 students, who collected and analysed litter. Using GPS equipment, they were able to identify waste materials found at different areas of the beach and use the data to work out the best place for the bins.

An Arun Council spokesman told us: "It's vital that our beaches and seas are kept as clean as possible.

"The winning design is eye-catching and we hope to see the design in production and in use. We are hopeful that Laura's design will help influence beach-goers to put their rubbish into nearby bins so that it can be recycled or disposed of properly."

Waste, particularly plastic, has a major impact on marine environments and sea life. It is estimated around 10million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the oceans each year.

Proud senior lecturer Andrew Wright says of the project: "Our enthusiastic students used design thinking to combat the ecological plight of the sea, aiming to change human behaviour using their creative skills."

www.littlehamptongazette.co.uk

22nd February 2018