Right in the thick of the holiday madness, it’s easy to get lost in the recycling shuffle. There are festivities to be had, shopping to be done and time to spend with friends and family.
But, for the creators of Flings garbage containers, holidays mean holiday parties. Holiday parties mean trash. And, trash, traditionally, has been one big mess. Recycling everything possible from the wreckage is impossible.
The inconvenience put the Bay Area’s Ed Austin to work creating a solution to the need for disposable bins that provided a convenience without the eyesore. But, the inventor’s prototype was only targeted on trash. TrashCo Inc. saw a chance to expand into recycling, and the availability of a disposable 13-gallon garbage bag and a recycling container that can hold up to 60 aluminum cans was born. The numbers in their market research showed a need for this kind of product, according to TrashCo Inc. Vice President Vandy Van Wagener.
“We saw in our research a need gap,” Van Wagener said. “Over 50% of consumers were extremely or very concerned about their guests separating stuff.”
Affordability is key to the company, too; currently, a Fling costs $3-4 a bin. But, that is just the starting point, according to Van Wagener.
“We want to be everywhere. Ultimately, we aim to have Flings grow into a very substantial recycling and trash product line,” Van Wagener said. “Parties and picnics are the starting point.”
Van Wagener continued that he hopes to see popularity rise enough so that the company can drive the cost down enough for everyday use. But, more than cost, Van Wagener is focused on the main question that the recycling bin brings to mind: How do you keep pushing recycled content?
Again, Van Wagener went to the numbers for the answer, pointing out a finding that for every aluminum can that is recaptured, enough energy is saved to power a television for three hours. Filling up one bin is 180 hours of TV. That is a lot of 30 Rock, Dancing With the Stars or Dateline.
But, more than entertaining, the product points out an interesting fact: Often things that look too small to work make the biggest impact.
“When people open the bag, they think, can this really hold 60 cans?” Van Wagener said, agreeing with an amused laugh that it is much like a Mary Poppins’ bag; much more fits in it than seems possible. “Consumers are surprised!”
But, along with the lighthearted aspects of the company comes its serious mission statement, with a hefty stance on promoting environmental sustainability.
“As we looked at the United States’ relatively low standing for recycling versus other developing countries, we knew how important it is to help make recycling easier, neater and more fun,” TrashCo’s mission statement says. “That’s why we developed the first Flings recycling container, to effortlessly remind everyone to recycle.”
The inconvenience put the Bay Area’s Ed Austin to work creating a solution to the need for disposable bins that provided a convenience without the eyesore. But, the inventor’s prototype was only targeted on trash. TrashCo Inc. saw a chance to expand into recycling, and the availability of a disposable 13-gallon garbage bag and a recycling container that can hold up to 60 aluminum cans was born. The numbers in their market research showed a need for this kind of product, according to TrashCo Inc. Vice President Vandy Van Wagener.
“We saw in our research a need gap,” Van Wagener said. “Over 50% of consumers were extremely or very concerned about their guests separating stuff.”
Affordability is key to the company, too; currently, a Fling costs $3-4 a bin. But, that is just the starting point, according to Van Wagener.
“We want to be everywhere. Ultimately, we aim to have Flings grow into a very substantial recycling and trash product line,” Van Wagener said. “Parties and picnics are the starting point.”
Van Wagener continued that he hopes to see popularity rise enough so that the company can drive the cost down enough for everyday use. But, more than cost, Van Wagener is focused on the main question that the recycling bin brings to mind: How do you keep pushing recycled content?
Again, Van Wagener went to the numbers for the answer, pointing out a finding that for every aluminum can that is recaptured, enough energy is saved to power a television for three hours. Filling up one bin is 180 hours of TV. That is a lot of 30 Rock, Dancing With the Stars or Dateline.
But, more than entertaining, the product points out an interesting fact: Often things that look too small to work make the biggest impact.
“When people open the bag, they think, can this really hold 60 cans?” Van Wagener said, agreeing with an amused laugh that it is much like a Mary Poppins’ bag; much more fits in it than seems possible. “Consumers are surprised!”
But, along with the lighthearted aspects of the company comes its serious mission statement, with a hefty stance on promoting environmental sustainability.
“As we looked at the United States’ relatively low standing for recycling versus other developing countries, we knew how important it is to help make recycling easier, neater and more fun,” TrashCo’s mission statement says. “That’s why we developed the first Flings recycling container, to effortlessly remind everyone to recycle.” 