Community category

In Denmark 84% of the garbage incinerated could have been recycled. Treated properly waste is a valuable resource for new uses. The Design Anthropological Innovation Model (DAIM) includes a pilot project on waste handling. Based at the Danish Design School, the project cooperates with a Danish incineration company, municipalities and citizens to explore new opportunities for waste reduction and recycling through user driven innovation.

How do we meet the challenge of sustainable waste handling? First of all, to know the needs of both professionals and citizens within a community is crucial. This is why the Scandinavian tradition of user involvement as well as participation in decision making in today’s welfare society are key issues in creating a sustainable waste system based on dialogue and local participation. Regarding citizens as the most important contributors to the welfare society is a proof that together we can improve life.

Imagine a town centre where waste management is an important rallying point used actively and committed by citizens. Imagine disposal and recycling adjusted and made an attractive part of urban areas. Imagine recycling stations and waste collection in places where people already go about.

The Design Anthropological Innovation Model (DAIM) is a service design developed through a pilot project on waste handling understood as a broad societal problem. Traditionally, waste management is top-down managed without the involvement of users; citizens as well as professionals. DAIM challenges this tradition and suggests a more democratic model for waste handling. Therefore DAIM is a new and democratic way of dealing with the problems of waste and recycling, that welfare societies are facing.

No technological quick-fix will be able to solve our increasing problems of generating too much waste. Future solutions for sustainable waste handling require active involvement of people outside the narrow circles of professional waste management. Thus the project findings are packaged as a box full of resources for continued innovation of the waste sector based on serious and sustained user involvement.

DEMOCRATIC WASTE MANAGEMENT
ISSUE:	The world is drowning in waste and the need of a solution for sustainable waste management is urgent.
INTENT	Suggest democracy and user driven innovation in waste management to solve the increasing waste problems.
WHO:	The Design Anthropological Innovation Model (DAIM), The Danish Design School, www.dkds.dk/Forskning/Projekter/DAIM with designers/researchers Joachim Halse, Thomas Binder, Trine Paludan, Eva Brandt, Maria Foverskov, Marie Aakjær, Claus Hansesgaard, Mikkel Ask Rasmussen, Kristina Dam, Katja Øder, Signe Yndigegn, Lene Nielsen.