Gizmodo: trash can

Tri3 Trash Can Recycles Your Waste Stylishly

Elaine Chow — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 03:00:00 EST

The Tri3 trashcan stacks three cans together to make recycling even easier than normal. It's also much neater, and more stylish, than my solution of throwing recyclables into a heap in the kitchen corner.

The top can, which also contains a bag dispenser, is for disposable goods. The middle can is for packaging and the bottom is for recyclables like bottles. Foot pedals open up different parts of the can. Stepping on the left pedal opens the top can, the middle paddle revolves the central can outward, and the right pedal turns the bottom can towards the user.

Unfortunately, it's just a concept for now. But I can't imagine why some entrepreneurial trash can manufacturer wouldn't pick it up in the near future. [Constance Guisset via The Design Blog]

Barcode Scanner Bins Make Recycling Fun For Nerds

Sean Fallon — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:20:55 EST

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for recycling, but it's the process I'm not so thrilled about. For bottles and newspapers things are fairly simple, but there is a whole gray area that makes knowing what is appropriate for recycling more complicated. The Barcode Trashcan offers a high-tech solution that utilizes the product barcode to help sort and separate items.

Many recyclables feature a number value that denotes whether it can or can not be recycled. When scanned, these bins read that number and the corresponding can opens for your convenience. Unfortunately, the only real benefit I see in this concept is that I would spend less time thinking about which bin to throw my beer bottles into. The real tough recycling questions generally don't have a barcode slapped on the side. So, it appears that I will have to continue utilizing the woods and trash dump runs under the cover of darkness to deal with those issues. [Yanko Design]

Wastebasket Facilitates Hands-Free Toilet Reading

Charlie White — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:37:01 EDT

Who knew a minor variation in the shape of the top of an ordinary trash can could be so useful? There's usually a trashcan next the toilet, so Snowtone Design figured it might be nice to put that receptacle to use during the times you're not throwing stuff in it. Just drag it around in front of you as you're doing your business and all of a sudden you have a hands-free reading assistant. [Snowtone]

Adjustable Trash Can Fits All Sizes

Jason Chen — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:00:07 EDT

The reason Japanese people are so short is because space comes at such a premium (it's true, we read it on Wikipedia). This adjustable trash can, however, is great for small rooms that need small cans, but can adjust upwards to accomodate large rooms as well. This way, instead of throwing out your garbage when the bin gets full, you can just make the bin bigger. Avoiding problems by deferring solutions until later, that's the American way. We're just glad the Japanese are finally catching up. [Cataloger via Tokyo Mango]

Simplehuman Trash Can Opens Automagically

Charlie White — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 15:30:00 EST

This Simplehuman stainless steel trash can is perfect for the modern luxo-kitchen, and improves on the old foot-operated can by putting techno-sensors where that foot pedal used to be.

Just get your foot near it, and the thing comes popping open, ready to accept whatever refuse you deem expendable. Powered by either six D batteries or an AC outlet, it's an overpriced $200. – Charlie White

Product Page [simplehuman, via ubergizmo]

I.master Intelligent Wastebin - Smart Garbage Can for Smart People?

www.gizmodo.com — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 15:49:21 EST

The Wastecan i.Master Wesco is definitely much smarter than your trash can. It features an invisible infrared sensor at the top that senses when your hand is near, filled with stinky trash, and automatically opens the lid without the need for involvement from you other hand or your foot for that matter.

The fact that this trash can opens its greedy little mouth at your impending garbage deposit is undoubtedly cool, but don't be fooled by the photo—it does not allow you to shoot red laser beams out of the palm of your hands. And for the $430 price tag, it really ought to. –Dana Bushman

i.Master Wesco Wastecan [via Popgadget]

Clever Case Mod Puts PC Where It Belongs

Charlie White — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 13:02:04 EDT

There's something satisfying about this trash can PC case mod from a resourceful Chinese enthusiast, putting the PC right where it belongs. I can think of many a long night where I wanted to do much worse to the PCs I've encountered. Not that we're Mac fanboys or anything, but you never see a Mac shoehorned into a garbage can like this.

Now if someone would just design a brick wall with a Motorola Q sticking out of it, I'd have the perfect case mod for my Smartphone. – Charlie White

Paper Bin Case Mod from China [Barbaria]