Bin Problems? Let Sugatsune Put a Lid On Them
19 November 2024
Bins are hardly the most glamorous addition to any space. Yet from cafes and restaurants to shopping centres and transport hubs, they provide an essential function that makes them impossible to overlook.
From a design perspective, that creates a challenge. Yes, you need bins as an important amenity. After all, providing adequate waste collection options will help to keep a space pristine. But ensuring receptacles associated with refuse contribute to the overall aesthetic appeal – that’s a tricky one.In truth, this is exactly the sort of challenge that interior designers thrive on. But what they’re not always helped by is the choice of components available.
Take bin lids, for example. One of the problems that designers frequently raise is the limited choice in lids available on the market. Off-the-shelf options are restricted to a relatively small number of shapes and sizes, meaning there aren’t many options for the design of the bins themselves.
Larger buyers – retail and fast-food chains, for example, or large transport operators – can afford to have lids built to customer specifications in bulk quantities. But the scales involved are beyond the reach of smaller businesses. They have to make do with what they can find pre-made.
One of our missions as a trusted supplier of architectural hardware is to increase the amount of choice available to our customers. So bin lids was an obvious market for us to target. Our multi-purpose lid range now includes 60 different products. And we don’t just offer plenty of different shapes and sizes to cater for those varied off-the-shelf needs. Our range includes plenty of added-value features that take the possibilities of bin lids to another level.
Looking beyond variety
First and foremost, our multi-purpose lid range is designed to cover all bases with how and where bins are deployed. This includes options with and without hinged coverings, so you can have a choice of either a closed lid in the conventional sense, or just an open aperture. It includes different mounting options, with lids designed for the top of a bin, on the side, or inclined at an angle.
And of course, it includes different shapes and dimensions. For components with and without lids, across different mounting positions, we offer circular, square and rectangular lid shapes, in sizes ranging from 56 x 56mm, to our largest lid by area, which is 220 x 400mm. And to top it all off, we now offer many of our lids in black as well as the standard chrome finish.
Beyond variety, one of the USPs Sugatsune brings to the market is our ability to add different functionalities to basic lids. We are a specialist in hinges, in locks, in component motion technology and more. We apply this expertise to all the hardware we design and engineer, often with novel and groundbreaking results. Which is exactly what has happened with our lids.
Take the AZ-GD model, for example. At a glance, it looks like a fairly standard rectangular side-mounted lid with a top-mounted flap/lid. What makes these lids stand out from the crowd, however, is the fact that they are fitted with our patented soft-close dampers. Instead of the flap thudding back into the closed position after waste is pushed through, it returns in a smooth, controlled manner. It’s a premium touch that is unique on the market.
But even that isn’t the sum of what makes the AZ-GD so special. Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Sugatsune was contracted to provide components for thousands of bins to be installed in public spaces for the duration of the games. But the authorities had concerns over the security risks of so many open bins across the city. So we added locks to the AZ-GD, meaning every bin could be safely secured at night. The idea proved to be a huge hit, so we put them into general production.
And then there’s the AZ-AT, winner of the Interzum High Product Quality Award in 2021. Conceived at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when contactless solutions were in high demand for sanitation reasons, the AZ-AT features a sensor which activates the top-mounted flap, allowing waste to be put into the bin without the need to touch any surfaces. We also introduced bin lids with anti-bacterial coatings around the same time.
All of this sums up the Sugatsune ethos at its best – innovation in response to identified market needs, prioritising choice, quality and flexible performance for our customers. Why don’t you lift the lid on what else we have to offer?atsune
