It seems, the only viable solution to the increasing garbage problem is recycling. We all should recycle all materials like plastics, papers, metals and glasses. The recycling process is still imperfect and unfortunately contains many inefficiencies which make recycling far more expensive. Getting to know the different kinds of plastics can be difficult for household consumers, putting them off recycling all together in some cases. If you look for the recycling symbol on most packaging, it’s often filled with a number value. They denote what can and can’t be recycled.

Designed by Woo Seok Park, this Barcode Trashcan offers a high tech solution that utilizes the product barcode to help sort and separate items. With this new Barcode Trashcan you would spend less time thinking about which bin to throw your used bottles into. There’s one bin for each type of recyclable material. The system uses product barcodes in order to classify types of recyclable plastic. The technology scans the barcode, then opens the correct lid of the box for that product. Just swipe the item with a barcode, over the top and the right bin opens. As a result, the technology helps consumers correctly separate their recycling with little confusion and more efficiency. The technology would be best employed for the recycling of soft and hard plastics but unfortunately would not be useful for newspapers and paper or other products without barcodes.

The Barcode Trashcan is still in the concept phase but is an encouraging development in increasing the efficiency with which we recycle.

If you liked this design, you would also be interested in:

• Ovetto Recycling Bin
• invisible solar leaf street light