These yellow metal recycling cages can be seen along major arteries like Ben Yehuda and Dizengoff streets here in Tel Aviv. Some are strategically placed in front of supermarkets which make them user friendly and in turn gives more of an incentive to recycle.
When I first saw these cages the logistics of putting the bottles in was easier to grasp then getting the bottles out. My question was answered one day when I spotted a “super truck” operated by the L.D.S. Recycling Industries taking care of business. This truck is in fact a vacuum cleaner that is designed especially for the function of bottle removal.
It’s a two man job, one man climbs into the bin to guide the hose and the other guy operates the trucks sucking power. L.D.S also provides the metal cages, places them around the city and in turn gets to keep the plastic bottles that they collect for recycling. it’s a win/win situation for all.
Along Dizengoff street the recycling cages are enhanced with cut out metal nature motifs, which make them aesthetically pleasing and disguise some of the plastic bottles within. Why not dress up an otherwise uninteresting object for the sake of recycling?
This guest post was contributed by Patti Boker Elkon, from Tchochkes.com
I love the art. I wish they would turn the trash can into a viewable form as well. When I started keeping track of my trash vs. recycling consumption I became very conscious of what stuff I was throwing away that could be recycled.
Either way love the ideas that Tel Aviv is promoting and wish other places in the MidEast would join the trend.
I’ve also written about the usability aspects of these cages:
http://notes.co.il/lea/47084.asp
And if you want to see more designed cages you can also check this out:
http://www.greenproducts.co.il/blog/?p=260
And last but not least, I’ve created a flickr group for recycle bins/cages:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/recyclebins/
Feel free to add your photos.