If you've been issued a large recycling blue bin by your municipality and don't have the flexibility of storing it in the backyard or garage (eg Row House, Semi Detached), the Carbonberry Bin Motel was created for you. Made of eastern white cedar and heavy duty steel hinges, the bin motel should last a long time. There is no bottom , making it very easy to wheel the bin in and out. When you open the top hatch, the lid on the bin is automatically opened as well. The top hatch can be installed to face frontwards or backwards. The backwards option is ideal for those who want to toss the recycling material from their front porch. Exterior dimensions are 33 inch (84 cm) wide, 37 inch (94 cm) deep and 50 inch (127 cm) high and weighs ~ 45 Kg (100 lbs). Optional hooks can be purchased to hang the green compost bin and regular waste bin on the side of the bin motel (see pictures). It ships in 4 pieces and assembly is very simple (see picture).

 

Shipping: Pickup from nearest patch  is available. As allways, we provide Free delivery within biking distance of the nearest patch .  Simply use the notes section in the checkout to indicate your preference. We will remove the shipping charge before processing your order. Note: Shipping charges displayed during checkout may not always be accurate. You will be contacted before we proceed with the order..

     

 

The bin motel is designed for the large and extra large recycling bin issued by the city of Toronto (and other like minded municipalities) . The current recycling diversion rate in Toronto is 42% with a goal of reaching 70% by 2010.  Some people think a 70% target is totally unrealistic. We think the residents of Toronto will rise to the occasion. 

 

How does waste affect climate change? Well, when waste starts to break down in the landfill , greenhouse gases (mostly methane and CO2) are emitted into the atmosphere. According to the Canadian Government, emissions from waste have increased 15.2% since 1990. So in order to meet our kyoto targets we simply need to use less, recycle more and stop buying products that create excessive waste.

 

So how does the bin motel help you harvest carbonberries?  Well it depends on why you are buying it.  If you already have the extra large bin and simply want to hide it, the 5 kg of steel embodied in the product results in a negative harvest of 3 quarts (10kg) of carbonberries. No worries, you can allways offset those emissions by switching to an eco showerhead and harvest 8-12 bushels of carbonberries every year!  On the other hand, if the bin motel encourages you to increase your recycling  (perhaps you decided to upgrade from a smaller recycling bin) then there is definitely a net benefit to environment.

 

Note: We're having difficulties getting some accurate emission factors for landfill waste. If you can help, please give us a shout and then we can update the numbers.

 

Assumptions: Embodied emissions for bar / flat steel is 2 kg CO2e per kg.

Found an error or perhaps you  have some comments on our methodology? Please contact us so that we can discuss.

 

 

End of Life: All steel components can be recycled in the blue box (how ironic!). Try and reuse the cedar (e.g. make bird houses) instead of burning , putting in compost or sending to the landfill.

Critters: Raccoons will have a hard time getting in the bin motel but bears will simply knock it over and have a good time!

 

 

Exterior Dimensions: 33 inch (84 cm) wide, 37 inch (94 cm) deep and 50 inch (127 cm) high

Weight: ~ 41 kg (90lbs) with flat boards, ~48 kg (105 lbs) with half round boards

Materials: Eastern White Cedar, Steel (for hinges, bottom brace and handle)

Made in: Ontario, Canada