According to johnsrefuse.com, Americans are creating so much trash that even the landfills, places we have set aside to put our trash, are filling up. While we are recycling upwards of 50 percent of our paper waste, we still generate between 250 and 400 million tons of garbage each year. Also, “the United States has the highest amount of waste generated per person of any country at an average of 4.6 pounds per day.”
People are trying to get a handle on their consumption and are using items like reusable grocery bags and water bottles to reduce waste. We’re making progress, but we can still do better. This means creating less waste, but it also means simply making sure that our trash makes it to the right places and that we aren’t littering.
It is estimated that close to 10 percent of waste ends up as litter, rather than in landfills or recycling plants. To help reduce this number, Volkswagen started an initiative called “The Fun Theory.” Simply put, by making the chore of throwing away garbage more entertaining, they encourage people to throw their trash away correctly — in trash cans.
To make this happen, a team snuck into a public park and labeled the trash can the “World’s Deepest Bin.” The sign piqued people’s curiosity, but it was the sound it made when they threw away a piece of trash that managed to make people smile. Who knew that the simple act of disposing of some garbage could be so entertaining! This simple but brilliant invention managed to do its job — that single trash can was filled with 90 pounds more trash per day than usual.
Watch the video to see the clever invention in action. Please like and share if you think this is a good idea!
