A New Zealand-based company took home a prestigious international design award in Germany recently, after being recognised for their innovative waste disposal solution.
Hideaway Bins won a Red Dot design award for their Concelo bin, one of more than 5,500 entries submitted from 55 countries for the competition, held in Essen, Germany. Entries were judged by an international jury panel of 40 experts who only award the Red Dot seal of quality to products that feature an outstanding design. Past jurors include noted shoe designer Jimmy Choo.
Run by father and daughter team Allen and Jamie Bertelsen, Hideaway Bins won the award in the Product Design category for household appliance and household accessories. Jamie said the goal was to design the best bin possible for home and commercial use. “We set about this task after applying for and receiving a Callaghan Innovation grant towards research and development costs. It took seven years of research, development and testing but the result is a paradigm shift for a kitchen appliance that is used 20 to 30 times a day on average.”
The company’s investment in R&D has been a crucial part of their success. “We couldn’t have made this fabulous design without the hard work and commitment of our small R&D team. We also used a small focus group of cabinet makers and kitchen designers who gave their time to provide feedback on our early designs,” Jamie added. “Dad and I accept this award on behalf of our hardworking team and all the people who gave their time to help us turn this idea into a reality.”
Concelo is an integrated kitchen waste solution for rubbish and recycling that is clean in terms of both design and functionality. Designed above all to overcome common issues like grime and odours, it exceeds the basic requirements of looking and running like a kitchen drawer by considering the needs of the user.
The bin’s self-closing Active Lid, hidden from sight inside the cabinet, is a key feature of its odour-controlling design. Synchronised with the opening and closing of the bin, the lid provides a truly hands-off operation and can be removed simply for cleaning with the push of a button.
The Clip ‘n’ Clean trays, buckets, and liner holders are made from stain-resistant polypropylene. They can be removed effortlessly for cleaning and clip back into position in seconds, eliminating potential dirt traps in difficult spaces.
Concelo boasts specially-designed and customised smooth over-extension synchronised runners, and is the first premium waste bin offering integrated concealed runners in its design, making it possible for the bin to be mounted at bench height for ease-of-use whilst allowing the back bucket to be removed independently of the front bucket.
“We believe Concelo will ultimately change the way the kitchen design industry will look at rubbish management in the kitchen,” said Jamie. “A bucket in a drawer will no longer be good enough, as homeowners are far more aware of the need to deal with waste in a smart way.”
The Concelo waste bin is now on display in the Red Dot Museum in Essen alongside other award-winning products. It is also featured in the 2019 “Red Dot DOING” yearbook where the international design community draw inspiration for future products and stay on top of the latest product trends paving the way forward.
“The celebration was glamorous, and experience not to be forgotten and a true honour to have our waste bin recognised for its unique features that truly help it to stand out in the crowd,” said Allen Bertelsen.
