The BEarOPEN Lint collector TED (Today’s Eco-Design) is a dryer lint collector. The product is a hand-made teddy bear casing that would commercialize dryer lint collection within the home. The casing is made of used clothing or fabrics that cannot have a second life through wearing it or their original intended use. The materials are collected at specially designated collection points and then used to manufacture the BEarOPEN teddy casings. The casings would be cut out and sewn together by hand leaving the stiches showing, to bring out a simple, cozy ambiance. The teddy casings are then given those who donate clothes depending on the amount of clothing you donate, the number of teddy casings you get increases. They can also be bought separately at the collection points.
Once the teddy casings reach the homes the lint collecting begins. Once you clean out your dryer simply fill up the casing with the lint produced from the wash. Keep filling it until its full and zip it up. Now you have a ready to go toy teddy bear plushie! After this there are a number of options. You can keep you teddy, bring it back to receive money back or another teddy casing and/or bring us the collected lint and keep your casing to refill again. All returned bears are sent to help children’s charities, same with any clothes collected that are still in good enough condition to be worn again.
This is a fun way of promoting the up-cycling of used goods such as old clothing, buttons and dryer lint itself. By using the BEarOPEN lint collector we would be promoting tumble dryer users to empty their lint vents more regularly which in turn would prevent the risk of house fires. This would educate consumers on the contemporary sustainability concerns as well as prolonging the lifespan of clothing items, buttons, fabrics etc. which in turn reduces waste. Another benefit to using this lint collector would be the promotion or creativity and innovation in both adults and children. The teddy gives a homemade vibe that gives a sense of “making it yourself”. Job and volunteer opportunities in the sales department, textiles and charity work would increase respectively. Finally, the product would help children in need and those who cannot afford be buy toys.
All in all reusing lint may seem like a minor issue. However, by providing a small product to incentivize consumer goods collection we can do more good that the naked eye can see. Some may simply see a teddy bear. Others will see a world or opportunity and constant innovation!
With this project I aim to redesign a safe, eco-friendly way to reuse dryer lint, in doing so reduce waste and potentially create a sustainable solution for decreasing the risks associated with it. Combining two separate design approaches I want to come up with an optimal solution for this minor but prevalent problem of today. Firstly, incremental redesign in compliance with ESPR regulations and also radical redesign which completely rethinks the use of dryer lint. By employing both of these techniques I hope to achieve an optimal proposal for dryer lint up-cycling.
Throughout this project I will take into consideration the whole lifecycle of the product from material sourcing to the end of life. The goal is to incorporate the ideas behind circular economy and touch on doughnut economics. The product designed should be promoting a sustainable future and benefiting the environment by extending the lifetime of materials or resulting in an eco-friendly disposal solutions. Practical uses, benefits and stakeholders will also be considered.
External stakeholders include consumers: those who donate clothes, those who collect the lint and those who bring back the finished products also charities that would accept donations.
BEOPEN submission.pdf