Recycling for all: preliminary criteria for the design of disability-friendly receptacles

The design of current waste bins, paper and bottle banks presents barriers for disabled and elderly persons, as pointed out by several Danish studies. In drawing up design criteria for the development of receptacles to be usable by persons with disabilities and senior citizens it is essential to be aware of the problems caused by different types of disability as well as old age. On the basis of general user requirements, preliminary criteria for the design of disability-friendly receptacles are proposed. In collaboration with a collecting agent, current receptacles modified in accordance to the preliminary design criteria will be tested in pilot studies in three selected housing estates in the municipalities of Frederiksberg and Copenhagen. It is the authors' hope that the testing of the modified receptacles will result in achieving more efficient source separation not only for disabled and elderly persons, but for all user groups.