Output details

Is Green a Grey Area? Sustainability and Inclusivity: Recycling and the Ageing Population

This research investigates the role of design as a means of facilitating social inclusion around the issue of recycling related to age. Design research methods are used to gain insights into why people struggle to use existing products and services, and design responses are proposed for alternative bin and recycling point containers. This project uses recycling services as a vehicle for the enquiry, evaluating existing service design and the products in those services, from the context of social inclusion/exclusion.

Currently, a support service is in place throughout the UK to assist older and less able citizens in moving their domestic waste bins, however the rate of growth in demand for this service (inextricably linked to the ageing population) and the associated environmental footprint of the service will soon outweigh the environmental benefits of providing the service. This paper presents statistical modelling of the future impact of the ageing population on assisted kerbside collections, explores perceptual barriers to the use of recycling ‘bring-sites’, presents some mathematical modelling of the forces required to move kerbside wheelie bins of different sizes with different types and quantities of household waste, examines the social context and impact to older citizens of exclusion from kerbside recycling, and proposes design solutions to decrease physical and perceptual barriers at recycling bring-sites.

The work was conducted in collaboration with Sheffield City Council, Veolia (waste management provider for the City) and Taylors (Waste Bin Manufacturers) and presented at the Include 2011 conference at the Royal College of Arts (ISBN 978-1-907342-29-5, http://include11.kinetixevents.co.uk/4dcgi/prog?operation=author&id=1261).