CASE STUDIES
Crucible Compactor
Network & Market Positioning
User Centred Design
Value Proposition Development
The Compactor bin is an in-house project in response to an InnovateUK call under the “ISCF SSPP Collecting Flexible Plastic Packaging Waste at Home” competition.
Crucible responded to the call with a proposal to develop a counter-top compactor bin for domestic use.
Headquarters
Swindon, UK
Founded
2024
Services
Commercialisation, Recycling.
Sector
Flexible recycling
The Challenge
Flexible plastic, films, bags, wrappers, foils etc., are difficult to segregate and re-cycle and are a major constituent or residual waste that ends up in landfill. As part of a wider scheme to collect, recycle, or repurpose flexible plastic packaging several councils are enrolled in pilot projects (the FlexCollect Project), and to comply with emerging legislation Innovate UK has called for designs for a kitchen-counter-top bin to retain and compact flexible plastics as part of the collection and segregation process.
The Process
We spent the first few weeks of the project understanding the various stakeholder use cases. These included local authorities, waste collection contractors, downstream processors, and end-user householders. We built up a picture of how our bin would be used within a home and how it would integrate with experimental and established infrastructure downstream.
We evolved the design and reduced its complexity partly in response to feedback from the funder’s selection board, and partly as a result of our own design process. Our design process uses in-house CAD capability to design and visualise our concepts in 3D and prototypes were made using a combination of off-the-shelf components and 3D printing. Early prototypes were use-tested internally and were demonstrated to stakeholders at the Resource and Waste Management Expo (RWM) in Birmingham about six weeks after the start of the project. All feedback was collated and the design was modified and improved. Further prototypes were made and tested. Approximately 50 bins were finally trialed with householders in a field test facilitated with help from Suez, FlexCollect, and Reading Borough Council. The usability and user satisfaction results were extremely positive. We also had the opportunity to evaluate the bin in the commercial sector via an introduction from Innovate UK to Recorra, a private recycling company operating in London. Recorra tested the original bin and made some suggestions to improve it for commercial use. A further design iteration has been made and prototyped and is currently with Recorra for evaluation. Initial feedback is excellent.
The Outcome
The bin has been successfully tested by Reading Borough Council. Commercial testing with Recorra is ongoing and the latest versions of both the original domestic version of the bin, and the improved, larger, commercial version in partnership with Recorra is still under evaluation. We are also following up on additional commercial opportunities. All InnovateUK milestones have been hit and the project can be considered a success and an ongoing business opportunity. Domestic and Commercial versions of our bins will be exhibited at RWM in Sept 2024.
Pathway
Will people but it?
How can I gain
an advantage?
"Crucible has been proactive and accommodating in supporting us in our quest to collect and recycle flexible plastics in the workplace."
