How do you create a street furniture that considers not only the users, but to the people maintaining it as well?

Our design for a series of recycling bins in Hong Kong uses a collapsible design that unfolds to create a bin when in use and folds flat for transit. The humanistic design considers the ease of use for both the person setting up the bin and the public which uses the collection point. Due to the simplicity of the design, the materials used can be reduced to only plastic and bamboo, the former of which may be made from recycled plastic and the latter of which is highly sustainable.

Using a series of hinges and collapsible panels, two sides of the bin fold in on itself to become a flat package that lends itself easily for delivery. At the place of delivery, the panel unfolds easily like a piece of origami, making the set up process fast and simple. In order to make the collection point more eye-catching to the general public, included in the design is a standalone banner which sits behind the recycle bin. This banner also acts as a carrying case during delivery, making the entire package compact, easy to deliver and assemble. 

Instead of a different design for each collection material’s recycle bin, the design is standardized to allow for ease of production. The streamlined design reduces production waste of the recycle bins due to the homogeneous construction process. 

Location 
Hong Kong 

Status 
Built 

Typology 
Public, Product Design 

Year 
2017