2024 Galleries

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Galleries // 2014 Spark:Product // Central Park Conservancy Receptacles

Central Park Conservancy Receptacles

Winner - Silver

Competition: Spark:Product
Designer: Mr. Anthony Deen - Creative Director
Design Type: Trash and Recycling Bins
Company / Organization / School: Landor Associates
Website: http://www.landor.com
Team Members: Mike Boylan, Senior Industrial Designer; Craig Dobie, Associate Creative Director; Lady Tanmantiong, Graphic Designer; Brad Scott, Senior Director

The Central Park Conservancy's brief was to increase recycling while identifying the Conservancy's contributions to the park. Landor's design team saw the assignment as one not of product design but of environmental stewardship. For the design team the ultimate solution had to simultaneously encourage visitors to recycle more; increase operational ease and efficiency; dialogue with the park's vernacular landscapes, and increase visitor awareness of the Conservancy’s contributions to the park. This wasn’t about designing a new bin, it was an opportunity to use design as a change agent to educate visitors and modify their behavior. A deployment plan was developed to make sure cans were placed at optimal locations for both usage and collection. The receptacles were developed using a combination of field interviews with park users and visitors; an international best practices audit; consultation with NYC's Department of Sanitation; and in dialogue with the Conservancy staff and the manufacturer, helping the bins to be both effective and efficient. Manufacturing of the bins was developed to be in keeping with the Conservancy's environmental mission. They are handmade from sustainable aluminum alloy, containing 30% recycled content which is infinitely recyclable itself. The bins were then finished with a robust, but environmentally friendly triple layer powder coat. The true success of the deployment plan and the new suite of bins has been the reduction of collection vehicles in the park; a decrease in pest infiltration; and a measured increase in recycling of 35% since their installation.