DSNY announces winner of city’s waste basket design competition

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), Van Alen Institute, the Industrial Designers Society of America and the American Institute of Architects New York announced Dec. 5 that Group Project has been named the winner of the BetterBin Competition.

The BetterBin Competition offered designers an opportunity to reimagine New York City’s iconic green wire mesh litter basket. Two finalist teams each produced 12 full-size prototype baskets that were tested in three New York City neighborhoods over a 90-day period. The judging panel selected the winner based on prototype performance, public response and feedback from the department’s sanitation workers.

Produced by the interdisciplinary New York City-based team Group Project, the winning design consists of a lightweight and recyclable liner nested within a durable stand designed to blend in across all New York City neighborhoods. The design received positive feedback from both sanitation workers and the public for its sleek aesthetic, recycling messaging and ergonomic improvements. The interior liner is nearly 50 percent lighter than the current wire mesh basket, making it easier for sanitation workers to service. The liner also features eight grips for proper lifting compared to only two on the current basket.

“The winning design by the Group Project team demonstrates that design can be a powerful tool to improve working conditions for sanitation workers and better engage New Yorkers as our partners to keep the city healthy, safe and clean,” DSNY Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia says. “This is a truly innovative approach, designed for the unique needs of our workforce. We commend the Group Project team for their creativity and look forward to working together to refine the design for large-scale production.”

The winning design prototypes will be placed back into service in Manhattan. The Group Project team will also continue to work with DSNY for further design development to be able to mass-produce the basket and make adjustments based on the learnings from the prototype testing period.

“Group Project is honored to be chosen as the winner of the BetterBin competition. We salute the New York City Department of Sanitation and competition partners for making this commitment to better our city through design,” Colin Kelly, design lead at Group Project, says. “We are excited to continue the collaboration and to see our litter and recycling bins come to life across NYC.”