We revisited StashCan after receiving strong retail desire for a Quirky-branded trash can. The core concept of the StashCan — that of storing your garbage bags inside the garbage bin itself — was still considered to be a worthy feature. However, the look of StashCan needed an update and we took the opportunity to also double check our initial thinking concerning the storage position of the bags. Like the famous industrial designer Raymond Loewy was fond of saying, “Never leave well enough alone”.

An initial sketch phase was undertaken to explore potential storage positions for the bag and also identify some desired styling and material combinations. Other potential details were explored, like having a discreet storage slot for zip ties, a tissue box style dispenser for the bags, or even the front face of the garbage bin swinging open to allow easier access to a full bag.

A quick 3D modeling test was undertaken to explore the idea of mounting the bags in the upper or lower front portion of StashCan.

After further reflection, I sent the following e-mail to the team concerning a new design direction (shown below).

So, after looking at a few options and giving it some thought, I have come back around to the idea of the bags being mounted in the upper rear of stash can. Mounting it in the upper front portion rightly raised concerns of exposing the bags to dirty garbage. Mounting on the front surface made some sense in terms of shielding the bags from dirtiness, but it would be ergonomically unsound to expect people to bend down to tear off a new bag (especially older people). So I went back to the original placement. There is a strong argument for having an extra localized door panel over the bag storage section, but I think the attached moves us in a good direction.

My approach to hiding the bag is a ‘mini liner’; it should perform the same way a full liner does, but with less plastic. I have included ‘bag grip’ cut outs to secure the bag.

It was agreed that we should go back to the original bag storage position. Despite Loewy’s famous quote, sometimes you need to accept when not to tinker with a solid idea! Elsewhere, the ‘mini liner’ seemed to make sense, especially in terms of manufacturing cost. As long as the inside of the main bin was easy to clean, there was a strong argument to reduce the plastic liner down to essentially a collar that held the bag in place.

One concern the team had about the lid was the kick-down areas on the sides. Intended to cover the exposed ‘bag grips’, they made the lid look like Tupperware, and gave the product a cheaper look. For the final design, these ‘kick-downs’ were greatly reduced and re-positioned to sit inconspicuously within the form of StashCan.

Areas of cosmetic Stainless Steel were added to give a higher-end feel and allow StashCan to sit comfortably in the majority of kitchen decors. We printed a scale model on Bertha to obtain a physical reference for form and function (nothing more fun than passing a 10″ tall trash can around a retail buyer’s meeting, complete with a miniature roll of trash bags!).

The next four weeks:

We are still waiting to get feasible quotes on this one. We are reaching out to potential manufacturing partners in the States, as we want to avoid shipping air around the world. Watch this space…

quirky’s StashCan is a kitchen trash can with the added ability to store trash bags in the can itself. No more hassle with drippy bags, and time consuming trash removal. The StashCan makes your trash routine far simpler, cleaner, and speedier. (oh and it looks pretty too!)

Step on StashCan’s foot pedal to open the lid to dispose of your garbage. Once your trash is full, simply open the stainless steel rimmed top and pull out the removable, lightweight, plastic liner containing the full trash. Remove your full trash bag and clean the liner (if necessary).

Replacing the liner with a new, unused trash bag is simple due to the storage unit in the top, rear of the can. Never search around your kitchen for trash bags again! This separate trash bag compartment allows new bags to be easily accessed by pulling upward on the next available bag in the roll or stack. Once replaced, pop the liner back into the StashCan.

With the StashCan, trash removal is a chore that you and your children won’t mind completing!

NOTE: trash bags not included.