hetta

What it does

During a drying process in the bin, the organic waste loses about 70% of its weight and 60% of its volume. Furthermore, pathogenic bacteria is killed and the composting process stopped. As a result, bad odors and liquids, typical for bio waste, can be avoided.

Your inspiration

At the very beginning of this project I was looking into food storing and food waste. To gather more insights I did several interviews and observed the participants in their homes. During these Interviews I spotted a big pain point for every participant: their organic waste. All of them tend to postpone taking out the trash because they hated the smell, the ripped bags, and the liquids in their bins. This made me look more into where the smell comes from, why the organic waste bags are always torn, and how it could be avoided.

How it works

The bin consists of two main parts: The top (the heating chamber) and the body. During the day, the user collects their bio waste in a basket in the top part, where it slowly airs out through vents. Air filters avoid any smells coming from the waste. At night, the drying process starts; A small heating element heats up the air to 80°C and a fan distributes the hot air in the chamber. Through the perforated basket the hot air can dry the waste evenly and the moisture evaporates through the vents. Once the waste is dry, a sensor gives a signal to the servo motor, opening the bottom of the top part so the waste can fall through into the exchangeable internal waste bag underneath. The body has a second bottom which presses onto a leverage once the waste bag becomes fuller and heavier. This leverage moves upward into the ribbon of the waste bag. The movement of opening the door in the front tows on the ribbon, closing the full trash bag.

Design process

Starting the design process, I wanted to find a smart way to get rid of bio waste moisture. I tried out pressing, shredding, and drying the waste. I found that airing out and then heating up the waste to 80°C is the most efficient and the least messy way. By making mockups I learned that if the inner basket of the top part is flat, broad, and perforated the waste doesn’t pile up and can be dried faster and more evenly. The top part should be big enough to fit all the technical parts and the basket. It should be possible to open the lid of the top part easily and hands-free in case the user is holding a cutting board or has dirty hands. Therefore, I decided to design a push-push opening that can easily be opened with the elbow etc. Furthermore, the bin is the same height as an average kitchen counter allowing comfortable access. The overall shape of the bin illustrates the process the waste runs through. Waste is collected at the wide top, is then shrunken (illustrated by the slim mid-section) and at the end collected in bulk inside the wide bottom part. To fit into every modern kitchen, the shape and the finish should be unobtrusive and appear natural and clean.

How it is different

Most waste bins aren't really suited for organic waste as they are closed, creating a hotbed for bacteria. As a result, the organic waste starts sweating and composting and becomes smelly. There are some bins equipped with air filters avoiding the smell and some that open and close automatically to ensure a better experience for the user. But in the end the user still has to take the waste outside and a ripped and dripping organic waste bag ruins this experience. To avoid this, the waste would have to be taken outside very frequently. Hetta is a bin tackling the root of the problem: the moisture of the waste. By drying the waste before collecting it in a bag, the composting process stops, the waste shrinks, and becomes lighter, stops smelling and can be stored much longer than usual. Everything described here, plus the door mechanism that closes the waste bag make hetta an especially user friendly and hygienic organic waste bin.

Future plans

I would like to team up with experts to build a completely working prototype to test and refine the design and the technical components. My vision is to see hetta in peoples kitchen one day.

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