What is a
Smart Trash Can?
What makes
a trash can
smart?
People are coming up with new, exciting products every day. Some of them are revolutionary, some of them are – well, duh.
Let’s face it – the world is weird, wonderful, yet sometimes scary in terms of new product ideas.
When speaking of exciting products, you are probably thinking about something like Elon Musk’s brain chip, or that Amazon got the approval to start the test deliveries with drones, but what about the product in the middle, the products that were made for you and me?
The products that make your life easier, cleaner, more convenient, more enjoyable. The household gadgets you feel proud of, you show them to your friends.
That’s what we are going to discuss here, in the first episode of this series.
What makes a trash can smart?
First of all, it is probably a phrase you never even heard before in your life.
What do you think a smart trash can is? Does it have to do something with smart trash, or is the can itself smart?
Just think about it for a second before you move on.
The second has passed, move on.
In the past decade everything was about comfort, hygiene and saving the planet – and why wouldn’t it be? I mean, these are either necessary or convenient things.
Well, a smart trash can may not sound like something that might help save the planet or make your life easier or more hygienic, but actually it does – a lot!
How come, you might ask.
A hygienic trash can – sounds odd, huh
A regular smart trash can at least open and close itself, and with that, you don’t have to touch it every time you have to put something in it – that is really gross, even if you think yours is clean. IT. IS. NOT.
One check for hygiene and one for comfort, right?
A hygienic trash can – sounds odd, huh
A regular smart trash can at least open and close itself, and with that, you don’t have to touch it every time you have to put something in it – that is really gross, even if you think yours is clean. IT. IS. NOT.
One check for hygiene and one for comfort, right?
Using the available space more efficiently, making their trash bags recyclable or biodegradable, using recycled plastic and so on. For example, Townew uses biodegradable refill rings.
Although this doesn’t make your trash can smart, it is definitely a huge advantage that you should consider when choosing your next trash can.
Why are automatic trash cans so expensive?
A smart trash can be bought for anywhere between 100 to 150 dollars (Townew costs $129) . A regular trash can costs between 20 and 90 dollars, depending on the material (for example if it’s stainless steel) and how durable and well-made it is. So, let’s break down what goes into a regular and a smart trash can!
The main difference between regular and smart garbage can is innovation. Smart in most cases means automatic and touchless opening, which is possible through the sensors in the lid. The lid opens up when you wave in front of it. And this is what most of the smart trash cans are capable of.
Townew’s extra innovation lies in the self-sealing and self-changing features, which is truly one of a kind.
This literally means that Townew seals the garbage bag when you think it’s full. You push a button and then it replaces it with a new one.
How cool is that?
This innovation didn’t go unnoticed, as at the 2020 CES Innovation Awards Townew received an Honoree Award.
Another thing that goes with innovation is design.
Townew was carefully developed to be ergonomic and echo the characteristics of Scandinavian design.
Touchless trash can – how?
This is about the sensors that we mentioned. The point is that you don’t even have to touch it in order to to use it.
You just have to wave in front of Townew, and the lid magically opens up. When you think it’s full and could use a refill, you just push a button and the bag seals itself. MAGIC.
This is an old dream for many: throwing out gross stuff without touching the gross trash can.
The only thing smart garbage cans can’t help you: actually taking out the trash. Well, you can still delegate the task!
Summary
These are the basic features of a smart trash can. It’s worth noticing that many trash cans call themselves smart even though they just have:
- the automated, touchless opening feature.
Townew’s smart features on the other hand include:
- Self-sealing (it seals the bag if you push a button)
- Self-changing (it changes the garbage bag)
Hope now you can see clearly how such a seemingly simple thing, like a trash can,
can be actually smart and improve your life significantly.
