Advanced Research and Development

Through interviews, peer feedback, and research I found TerraCycle would be the perfect company to help me reach a solution for this problem of pollution, however not very many people knew of this company and furthermore, their only way of collecting waste was through people sending it to them in boxes which the company would then pay the sender for.  In the final weeks of the project I decided that I wanted to target TerraCycle and create more noticeable disposals for them so that I could then help to cut down on pollution, collect more waste, and potentially send the waste from these disposals back into them and gain a little profit back from the company. While the first ideas and designs I made were specifically for cigarette disposals and cigarette pollution waste, I realized how easily I could expand the project into including all kinds of recyclable waste such as plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

With my designs, all of the disposals are sleek, modern and much more innovative looking than any other waste can on the streets. They are easy to spot and because of the illustrations directly on the bins, easy to distinguish where to place each item. The cigarette disposal resembles an actual cigarette and has a horizontally raised and lowered rim along the top to act as an ashtray before you drop it in. All of the openings are small and slightly narrower than other trashcans so as to cut down on random waste people may want to throw in that cannot be recycled.

             The TerraCycle name and logo appear on each disposal, along with a green stripe along the bottom to promote the idea of being green and recycling. If I were to continue on with the project, my main goal would be to present the TerraCycle company with these designs, because they do not currently have any disposals on the market. People simply send waste into them in cardboard boxes. Parsons, or whichever company wanted to partner with the program, would send all of the waste from these targeted disposals back into TerraCycle, who would then send back money as apart of their waste brigade program.

Interview: Brent Vinyo

    1.     What do you think of these designs for potential recycling units?

a.     I like them but I don’t think New Yorkers really pay attention to trash cans.

2.     Would you be more likely to use these new bins if they were distributed throughout the city?

a.     If it were right in front of me I would have no problem using it, although I wouldn’t go out of my way to find one to drop a bottle into.

    Interview: Rachel Cohen

    1.     What do you think of these designs for potential recycling units?

a.     The cigarette disposal is way better than the current ones outside of the school and I would use these before using the black ones. And the fact they would be recycled is pretty innovative as well.

2.     Would you be more likely to use these new bins if they were distributed throughout the city?

a.     The cigarette ones for sure, I can’t really say if I think the other ones would be used that much but it’s nice that its like a whole line out there for the program.

    Interview: Billy Mineo

    1.     What do you think of these designs for potential recycling units?

a.     I like the metallic look, it’s very futuristic and would look nice outside of a Parsons building.

2.     Would you be more likely to use these new bins if they were distributed throughout the city?

a.     I like the idea and how I know the waste would be recycled and re manufactured. I think you did a really good job of combining different issues with the cutting down on street pollution and then increasing and creating awareness with this company and recycling.

    Interview: Marissa Fung

    1.     What do you think of these designs for potential recycling units?

a.     They look better than the ugly green or black cans that are on every corner now.

2.     Would you be more likely to use these new bins if they were distributed throughout the city?

a.     I don’t really see any recycling bins now, I think I only see trash cans, so if these were in different places with pictures of bottles or cans I would choose to use these over regular trash cans.

    Interview: Kevin Moreng

  1.     What do you think of these designs for potential recycling units?

a.     I really like them, they seem to be really efficient and really easy to tell which piece of garbage can be recycled and into what bin. I also like the green on the bottom.

2.     Would you be more likely to use these new bins if they were distributed throughout the city?

Interview: Liz Humble

  1.     How many cigarettes would you say you smoke per day?

a.     About 5-7 on average.

2.     What do you usually do with your cigarette once you have put it out?

a.     I’m usually in a rush or on the way to class so I just throw it on the ground and step on it.

3.     Have you seen or used the cigarette disposals on campus?

a.     I’ve seen them around and I used to try to use them but I don’t really anymore.

4.     If you answered no, can you explain why you have not used them?

a.     I don’t like how the thing to ash them out on is sideways, I’m usually scared of burning my fingers, which I have done before. I also get scared that the cigarette is not put out all the way and it may start to catch on fire, which I’ve seen before. They catch on fire and smoke like crazy until someone puts them out.

5.     Do you notice cigarette butts on the ground or consider them to be pollution?

a.     I definitely notice them everywhere, especially in front of the school, I don’t know if I necessarily consider them to be pollution though because I always see staff coming around to sweep them up so I guess I just kind of think someone’s going to clean them up rather than garbage that’s filling up the streets.

6.     Are you aware of any current waste or recycling programs?

a.     I know you can bring in recycling and plastic bottles to get a few cents but I don’t contribute myself.

  Interview: Alec Burgos

  1.     How many cigarettes would you say you smoke per day?

a.     About half a pack

2.     What do you usually do with your cigarette once you have put it out?

a.     I usually smoke when I’m on my way walking somewhere so I’ll just drop it onto the street

3.     Have you seen or used the cigarette disposals on campus?

a.     I have seen them I can’t remember the last time I used one

4.     If you answered no, can you explain why you have not used them?

a.     Like I said I’m usually walking somewhere and I don’t see them in a lot of locations. I also feel like its just another garbage can and I can’t see myself putting a cigarette into the garbage its just a weird concept.

5.     Do you notice cigarette butts on the ground or consider them to be pollution?

a.     I don’t really notice them

6.     Are you aware of any current waste or recycling programs?

a.     I like to recycle when I can but I couldn’t tell you the name of a specific program no

  Interview: Konrad Patterson

  1.     How many cigarettes would you say you smoke per day?

a.     7-9

2.     What do you usually do with your cigarette once you have put it out?

a.     Step on it

3.     Have you seen or used the cigarette disposals on campus?

a.     Noticed them but don’t use them

4.     If you answered no, can you explain why you have not used them?

a.     I like stepping on them

5.     Do you notice cigarette butts on the ground or consider them to be pollution?

a.     I notice them but it’s just something you get used to

6.     Are you aware of any current waste or recycling programs?

a.     If I have a soda can I’ll throw it in the recycling bin

  Interview: Nicolina Brod

  1.     How many cigarettes would you say you smoke per day?

a.     Usually only 3 or 4 a day, I’m trying to cut down

2.     What do you usually do with your cigarette once you have put it out?

a.     I try to look for some kind of ash try because I feel like a dog might eat them if I leave them on the ground but sometimes I can’t find one and resort to that

3.     Have you seen or used the cigarette disposals on campus?

a.     I see them and use them although I am not a fan of how they are designed I think they’re really ugly and its weird you have to put them out sideways but they’re definitely better than nothing

4.     If you answered no, can you explain why you have not used them?

a.     I use them

5.     Do you notice cigarette butts on the ground or consider them to be pollution?

a.     Yes and I always get scared a little animal is going to eat them however it’s difficult to get people to use an ash tray and its definitely not as bad as the actual garbage lying on the ground

6.     Are you aware of any current waste or recycling programs?

a.     Yes I am and I always try to recycle if I get the opportunity

  Interview: Tanya Nielsen

  1.     How many cigarettes would you say you smoke per day?

a.     10-15

2.     What do you usually do with your cigarette once you have put it out?

a.     Toss them in the street or down sidewalk grates

3.     Have you seen or used the cigarette disposals on campus?

a.     I’ve seen them but don’t use them

4.     If you answered no, can you explain why you have not used them?

a.     It’s just easier and faster to toss them

5.     Do you notice cigarette butts on the ground or consider them to be pollution?

a.     I notice them and yea I guess they’re considered pollution

6.     Are you aware of any current waste or recycling programs?

This was Rays third year in the city and while he had smoked occasionally at home in Toronto, since moving here his cigarette intake had reached almost half a pack per day. Rays 23 now and attends Parsons hoping to get his degree in Fashion Design. Between his public relations internship, classes and his side job of bartending Ray is constantly in go mode and constantly in a hurry to get somewhere. Whenever he gets a break from class he goes downstairs to smoke outside of the building. He also smokes while walking from his internship to his job and from his job to home.

Coming from Toronto, Ray immediately noticed how dirty the streets of New York seemed to constantly be and had a hard time understanding why it’s so difficult to be as clean as other cities. When he first moved here, he would always look for some kind of disposal to drop his cigarette into or a garbage/recycling can to throw his bottles and soda cans into. All he ever seemed to find were poorly designed cigarette disposals which would burn his fingers or recycling bins that did not clearly mark plastic or aluminum and ended up serving as just other trash cans amongst the line of bins. Parsons did do a good job of trying to promote recycling with the signs above the different bins illustrating what products could fit into the categories, although the signs were not always there and he noticed they often fell on the floor, since they were only taped up. He also noticed that the ashtrays outside were rarely, if ever, used by fellow students and seemed to catch on fire and be an eyesore to a school completely dedicated to design.

Rays mother Donna was an urban planner with her own firm and always tried to instill in her children the importance of respecting ones community and eco system. She always taught them to recycle when they could and to never throw or leave any garbage on the ground. With this upbringing it was annoying to Ray that he had settled with tossing his cigarettes on the ground and disposing of his plastic bottles in any random trash can along with half eaten tacos and hamburgers only to go straight into a landfill somewhere which would increase the eco systems and the worlds waste.

Cigarette Pollution Summary Brief

             Up to this week I have gathered much research and information about cigarettes, pollution and restrictions and laws in New York. I have even expanded my research out to not only cigarette pollution, but gum, trash, and noise pollution in New York City as well. I have found many articles voicing awareness and concerns on the issues along with factual evidence with numbers and New York City codes and reinforcement laws. I am concerned however that since I expanded the project it is now turning into more of a research project rather than something with an end goal. I will voice my concerns with my group and see if they have any advice for me.

Are cigarette filters biodegradable?

What are cigarettes and cigarette filters made of?

How many cigarettes are smoked every year?

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/pdf/noise_code_guide.pdf

"The New York City Noise Code balances the important reputation of 

New York as a vibrant, world-class city that never sleeps, with the 

needs of those who live in, work in, and visit the city. In 2007 the City 

updated the Noise Code for the first time in 30 years to reflect the