In 2006, there were 261, 895 reported incidents of unlawful entry and burglary in Australia. As she conducted research into why burglary was such a big problem, Jenny Loqvist, a design student at Griffith University, found that wheelie bins were often used to climb into open windows and balconies on the first storey. Loqvist decided to make them less useful to criminals.
For the 2008 Design Out Crime Product Design Awards, contributed by the Office of Crime Prevention of WA and Curtin University of Technology, Loqvist developed an idea for a No Climbin wheelie bin. ‘After doing 2D form studies I then went on to conducting 3D form studies in the workshop, which further helped me develop a suitable form for the wheelie bin to create a non-climbable bin,’ says Loqvist.
On the No Climbin the traditional flat lid and rim is replaced with a sloping, curved rim, so climbing onto it and balancing there is more difficult. Since the lid is made of a flexible material, it gives no support if someone tries to stand on it.
The design is user-centred as well as focused against crime. The lid has a rigid rim, making it easy for the user to lift. The shorter sides also accommodate the needs of shorter people who can find normal bins too tall.
Loqvist says that there should be a market for designs that seek to prevent crime: ‘I do believe there is a large market for design that deals with crime prevention since crime is something that is increasing.’
While the customers for an anti-crime wheelie bin may be local authorities who sometimes find it difficult to procure innovative new solutions, there are ways design can help make ideas like the No Climbin fit in with existing systems, says Loqvist: ‘The bin has been designed to fit existing wheelie bin trucks to make the transition as easy as possible. If an idea like the No Climbin were to be taken on by local authorities, I think there should be some collaboration between the designer and the authorities to ensure the design is easy to implement. With the right tools to promote and drive something like this forward to the council, I believe that it is certainly possible.’