Ecopod: The Smart Compactor

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a recent convert to eco-friendly products, you’ll love the 21st centuries’ answer to the “old-school” trash compactor. Meet the Ecopod, recently made available this past fall, this innovative appliance provides an efficient way to crush, store and redeem recyclable beverage containers, particularly plastic bottles and aluminum cans. The design is simple and functional, not to mention sleek and attractive. It crushes with ease and comes with the engineering strength and smarts of the minds behind BMW.
Designed by BMW Designworks, USA, it provides a convenient foot pedal to initiate the compact of your bottle or can. Once compacted, the container falls into an internal bin, which can then be later removed for redemption or curbside disposal. Each storage pod will fit about 50 crushed containers. The upper compartment houses extra room for other recyclable materials (i.e. newspapers or glass bottles). This is the perfect energy efficient and well-built system for the home.
The nicest feature to the unit is the simple fact that it allows the users to see just how much recyclable waste they create; be it either a shocking revelation, or hopefully further inspiring efforts to reduce one’s footprint. Green and smart companies would be wise to also use this cheap and shining tool in the office. I see it as a simple way to get green by making room for one of these sleek units in the break room. Start the eco-trend in your office or business by promoting recycle solutions for your employees or co-workers. Awareness is the critical component to reducing waste in the internal work environment which, I might add, can potentially lead to increasing the profits of your bottom line by fostering eco-creativity and simple office solutions.