Eco-Points for Convenient Recycling

In a pledge to create more environmental awareness, our client (one of the national grocery chains in Portugal) is committed to shaping good eco practices for the public. Our client wants to give convenient access to the public to recycle their paper, plastic and glass. To take it a step further, they also want to give a convenient location for alternate house hold waste such as cooking oil, batteries, bulbs, electrical appliances and coffee capsules. In collaboration with the national grocery chain, we designed and delivered eco-points that are at 345 locations across Portugal.

Grandesign, our product design company, took charge and designed our client’s first generation of eco-points to help them with their sustainability initiatives. The project required our integrated services from start to finish: design, product development engineering, graphic design, rapid prototyping and finally, production.

The Project

As per the requirements of our client, the design had to be functional and it had to be easy for a person to deposit the waste into the containers in a sanitary and proper manner. In addition, it also had to be easy for the recycling company to remove the waste from the containers.

After market research, some initial design concepts and a design approval, we made small scale 3D samples in order for better visualization and to determine required functionality. In the interest of space management, some waste categories will be collected together in a single container. The single container holds separate sub-containers with different openings to separate the waste.

After design and product development, we prototyped real-scale containers in our rapid prototyping centre. Once the prototypes were approved, the project progressed to mould manufacturing and finally to injection moulding for the final production. The process seemed seamless because each step of the product cycle was carried out in-house at our VANGEST industrial complex.

Grandesign’s collaboration with the national grocery chain, was a project that will further spread awareness of improving the general public’s recycling habits and how we can do more. Our client is making it easy and convenient for the public to take small steps in the right direction and to be responsible about our house hold waste.

Many small steps can make some big positive impacts on our environment.

Happy Global Recycling Day!