MAKING WASTE SORTING EASIER STARTS WITH EVERYDAY LIFE
We want to do the right thing when it comes to sorting our waste. But even when we know which bin a piece of packaging belongs in, one important question remains: Where do we put it? As we need to separate more types of waste, we also need to think about how to create smart, user-friendly solutions that make waste sorting easier in everyday life.
When good intentions meet everyday challenges
Most of us have probably been there. We're standing with a piece of packaging in our hand, wondering where it actually belongs. Is it plastic? Paper? Or should it be sorted in a completely different way?
Sometimes the answer is obvious. Sometimes we need to think twice. But even when we know exactly how something should be sorted, another equally practical question remains:
Where do we put it?
Because waste sorting isn't just about knowing what goes where. It's also about having enough space, being able to access our recycling bins easily, and having solutions that work in everyday life. And that's not always as simple as it sounds.
More to sort, but no more space
As requirements and expectations around waste sorting evolve, we need to separate more types of waste. But our kitchens, cabinets and other storage spaces don't automatically get any bigger.
Under the kitchen sink, recycling bins may have to share space with cleaning products and new kitchen features. In offices and other workplaces, the circumstances may be different, but the fundamental challenge is often the same: multiple needs are competing for limited space.
When space becomes tight or solutions are impractical, waste sorting risks becoming yet another task that takes time and effort. This raises a question that we at IMA believe is important:
How can we make it easier to sort waste correctly without making everyday life more complicated?
Smart solutions start with understanding the problem
When developing new solutions, we don't always start with an idea for a new product. We start by trying to understand what actually needs to work.
How do people use their spaces? What do they find frustrating? Which functions need to coexist? And where are the opportunities to simplify?
Sometimes it's about making better use of the space available. Other times, it's about questioning why we do things the way we've always done them. Does all waste sorting really need to happen under the kitchen sink? Could we use other cabinets or drawers? And could we adapt solutions to better reflect how different types of waste are generated in everyday life?
It's often questions like these that spark new ideas. Because innovation doesn't always have to be big or technically advanced. Sometimes a relatively small change can make a significant difference to the person using the solution every day.
We need to consider the entire chain
But it's not just about developing smarter products. The conditions for effective waste sorting are created long before someone finds themselves holding a piece of packaging and wondering where to put it. They're influenced by how we plan our kitchens and other spaces, which functions we make room for, and how we design solutions for waste collection and sorting.
That's why we believe greater dialogue is needed between the different stakeholders who influence how waste sorting works. At IMA, we operate at the intersection between the people who use these solutions and the kitchen industry that designs the environments in which they are used.
By understanding users' needs and combining that knowledge with our experience in product development, we can create solutions that work in everyday life. At the same time, through dialogue with the kitchen industry, we can help ensure that waste sorting is given a more prominent place from the earliest stages of kitchen planning and development.
We also need to understand how waste management is evolving, so that our solutions can keep pace with changing requirements and needs.
Because it's only when the entire chain works together that we can create truly good conditions for the people sorting their waste.
Doing the right thing should feel easy
We believe most people want to do the right thing. But we also believe that those of us who develop products, plan spaces and design systems have a responsibility to make it as easy as possible for people to succeed.
It's about understanding everyday life, recognising the opportunities within the space available, and creating solutions that work in practice.
And perhaps, sometimes, we need to turn the question around. Instead of only asking how we can get people to become better at sorting their waste, we could ask ourselves:
How can we become better at making waste sorting easier for people?
Because when we start with people's needs, we can create solutions that make a real difference.
Not just for waste sorting. But for everyday life.
