HiiCCE - Hamburg Institute for Innovation, Climate Protection and Circular Economy

Innovative depot container sites

Description of the company
HiiCCE is a research institute based in Hamburg, Germany, that brings together the competences of Stadtreinigung Hamburg, the Sustainable Resource and Waste Management Working Group of the Hamburg University of Technology, and the former JOMA Umwelt-Beratungsgesellschaft. HiiCCE stands for identifying global ecological challenges and providing customer-specific proposals and concepts for solving problems, especially in the context of developing waste management measures.

Initial situation
In Hamburg glass, paper/ cardboard, packaging materials and waste electrical and electronic equipment is being collected in green metal containers. These are usually grouped and located at more than 900 sites spread over the city.

Problem
Often these container sites don’t look as clean and tidy as shown in the picture above. In times of COVID-19 the amount of waste has significantly increased, in particular paper and card boxes from online deliveries. Many people throw the paper boxes unfolded into the containers, so that they are rapidly full even though there could be still quite a lot of space in the containers. The next citizens coming to the containers to dispose their waste then tend to overload the containers and place waste and recyclables on top of the containers and next to them. The same regularly happens if the pieces don’t fit through the container lids.  This leads to even more polluted container sites.

In German we say “Müll ist gesellig.” as one misplaced item often leads to a chain reaction and the informally disposed off waste increases over time.

Stadtreinigung Hamburg has hence initiated the campaign “Mach’s flach” to raise awareness on the importance of flattening paper boxes to save space in the containers but the impact of the campaign is limited and containers still overflow and sites are still dirty and untidy.

Aims of the project
The overall objective is to improve the cleanliness of the depot container sites. Hence, we are looking for innovative ideas to change people’s waste disposal practice.

These ideas can be technology-based, smart, informative, interactive, people-centred and should make waste disposal at the depot container sites easier, smoother and fun. You could also orchestrate the sites as an event. Be creative, think free and  out of the box. You can use sensors, lightening, LED panels, sound systems, etc.

Scopes
The project includes the following aspects/ steps:

• Assessment of the problem (site visits, interviewing SRH/ HiiCCE personnel, interviewing users, etc.)
• First ideas for an innovative depot container site
• Cross checking/ testing of the ideas with users and SRH/ HiiCCE
• Concept for an innovative depot container site
• Prototyping

Target group (students)
Students of all study programmes who are interested to develop strategies and technical solutions that can motivate people to change their behaviour and therewith enhance the cities cleanliness and contribute to a more circular economy.

Dates
Please save these dates.

Registration
You can apply for Fishing for Experience online.