These unexpected dumpster concepts put new artistic, fashionable and often entertaining twists on garbage receptacles. While the metal boxes may be sites for maggots and food decay, urban planners and designers have breathed new life into the objects, making them more approachable and appropriate for modern society.
Trash bin pools and upcycled steampunk sculptures have come to dominate city streets and museum walls. The concepts are unexpected, enticing viewers to find out more about the ideas that lay behind the enterprises.
Among the more common considerations is the need for green metropolitan spaces. These dumpsters are typically transient, enabling municipal decision-makers to have them picked up and moved with ease to neighborhoods that may be in need of some sprucing up.
20 Unexpected Dumpster Concepts
20
Recycling-Themed Fashion
The Interview Russia June-July 2012 Editorial Shows Sustainable Clothes
19
Dumpster-Made Cafes
The FOUNDation Project Uses Trash Containers as a Base for Coffee Shops
18
Garbage Can Caricatures
Timm Schneider Nudges Urbanites to Take Notice of Their Surroundings
17
Trash Bin Pools
Louisa Dawson Juxtaposes Poverty to Luxury with These Ironic Sculptures
16
Personal Dumpsters
The Bagster
15
Gritty Graffiti Compartments
Desktop Dumpsters Brings the Flair of Street Art to Your Table
14
Dumpster Fashion
NYC Fashion Trend From the Garbage Dump
13
Dumpster Pools
Manhattan Beats the Heat with Unconventional Swimming Spots
12
Upcycled Steampunk Sculptures
Gone Postal by Michael Ulman is a Fantastic Found Material Creation
11
Urban Dumpster Gardening
Michael Bernstein's '10 Yard Forest' Uses Trash Cans
10
Decorative Dumpsters
Wallpapered Dumpsters Considered "Polite Graffiti"
9
Tragic Book Trashing
Borders to Destroy Tens of Thousands of Books as Waldenbooks Closes
8
Dumpster-Diving Photography
'Rubbish' From Diver and Aguilar Peeks Inside Garbage Bags
7
Creativity With Dumpsters
Eco and Art Skips
6
Dumpster Diving
This Is The "Freegan" Life
5
Precise Portable Forestry
The ParkMobile Introduces Greenery to San Francisco One Block at a Time
4
Dumpster Diva Fashion
'Victim Fashion' Combines Tatters and Lace for Fall 09
3
Dumpster Dress-Up
8 Artsy Trash Receptacles
2
Dumpster Diving Studies
Blu Dot's 'Real Good Experiment' Tracks Chairs All Over NYC
1
Recycled Election Couture
Green Inaugural Ball, a Trashion Showcase for Obama
Related Ideas
Recycled Plastic Tiny Homes
Gary Bencheghib's Home in Bali is Made with 35,000 Plastic Bags
Upcycled Waste Material Furniture
This Cardboard Furniture Design by Lee Lin is Modular
Multi-Material Home Composters
The Conceptual 'Toggle' Compost Bin Accepts Food Waste and Paper
Multifunctional Transport Buses
The Bubblic Public Imagines the Future of Public Transit
Nest-Inspired Urban Houses
This Vietnamese Dwelling Offers Respite From the Concrete Jungle
AI-Powered Waste Trackers
The Binit Household Waste Tracker Streamlines Recycling
Chic Utilitarian Trash Cans
Carden 'The Twin' Trash Can Has a Dual-Bucket Design
Transparent Waste-Filled Chairs
The 'No Waste Chair' by Kees Dekkers Puts Garbage in the Spotlight
Sink-Inspired Public Restrooms
This Public Washroom is Part of the Tokyo Toilet Project
Designer Upcycled Bags
Comme Des Garçons Released Its Collaboration with FREITAG
Efficient Composting Systems
Homepost Emphasizes Sustainability, Both in Design and Purpose
Minimalist Indoor Gardening Systems
The Conceptual BalconyFarm POT Can Be Set Up Anywhere
Plastic Waste Ice Creams
Eleonora Ortolani Proposes a Different Way to Recycle Plastic Waste
Gamified Compost Bins
The Smart Palm Bin Awards Badges for Food Waste Reduction
Indoor Organic Waste Gardens
The Conceptual BOSCH Eco-Hub by Batuhan Duran is Sustainable
Upcycled Plastic Bag-Made Chairs
Sungai Watch Creates the Ombak Chair from Plastic Bags
Novel Home Security Concepts
Swift Creatives Introduces 'Sculptural Surveillance'
Recycling-Focused Store Concepts
COS Adopts Recycled Materials to Enhance its New Store Locations
Recycling-Friendly Pump Designs
The P&G Product Pump Design Can Be Recycled without Disassembly
Eco-Friendly Bath Essentials
Bebo Seeks to Reimagine the Packaging of Kid's Bath Products
Urban Bottle Sustainable Initiatives
Heineken Presents Fields Green With Grass, Not Glass
Upcycled Ingredient Ice Creams
Salt & Straw's Upcycled Foods Series Rescues Wasted Food
Hyper-Fast Countertop Composters
The Vitamix FoodCycler Eco 5 Reduces Organic Waste by 90%
Extreme Space-Saving Architecture
A 74-Square-Foot Apartment is Redefining Urban Living
Reusable Paper-Made Water Bottles
The 'reU' Reusable Water Bottle Concept is Recyclable
Sophisticated Upcycled Home Sculptures
Origin Made Boasts the Exquisite Barco Basket Sculptures
Retail Overconsumption Campaigns
Coachtopia's 'The Wasted Parts' Explores Overconsumption Culture
Public-Oriented Furniture Exhibits
Furnishing Utopia's Jean Lee Displays Furniture for Public Use
Recycled Clothing-Crafted Furniture
Hemingway Design Transforms London's Traid Store
Waste-Incorporated Chair Designs
These Knoll Chairs Have Been Customized by Noel Mercado
Funky Colorful Storage Units
Pavel Vetrov's Funky Storage Units Capture Attention
Recycled Material Washbasins
The Vitra x Tom Dixon Re-Ceramic Washbasin is Eco-Friendly
Playful Concrete Wash Basins
The Kast Wave Collection Prioritizes a Sculptural Form
Resurrected Used Smartphones
Think Tank Team Makes Artifacts with Project Afterlife
Plastic-Free Hotel Amenities
ZeroWaste Global Introduces Plastic-Free Guest Amenities for Hotels
Style-Conscious Power Tools
The Conceptual 'Module' Compact Drill Has Recycled Materials
Ocean Waste Surfboards
The Floater Surfboard is Made Out of Recycled Materials & Raw Sewage
Whimsical Garbage Bags
Staff Expands Its Collection with Playful Garbage Bags
Electric Food Recyclers
The FoodCycler Eco 3 Turns Food Scraps into an Odor-Free By-Product
Multi-Use Apartments
Another Seedbed is Located in Brooklyn and Doubles as a Performance Space
Tailor-Made Furniture Ranges
Last Ditch Design's Capsule Balances Aesthetics and Functionality
Mycelium-Made Biodegradable Urns
Mush and Furf Design Studio Creates the sail Funerary Urn
Box-Like Innovative Apartment Designs
Photon Studio's Designs the Box in the Box Apartment
Recycled Mini Golf Courses
Lab La Bla Made a Miniature Golf Course with Denim & Wine Corks
3D-Printed Terracotta Coolers
Simon Pavy and Entreautre Designs a New Low-Tech Cooler
Upcycled Object Exhibitions
Nendo and Daniel Arsham Design, Break, and Create Functional Objects
Upcycled Circular Design Products
Cyrc Designs Expansive Products with Sustainable Themes
Duck-Like Waste Robots
The Conceptual 'Qua' Waste Management Robot Keeps Cities Cleaner
50s-Inspired Renovated Basements
Gundry & Ducker Add a Colorful New Extension to Home in Hackney
Aesthetic Interior Fridge Trends
Country & Town House Published a Guide to 'Fridgescaping'
Inflatable Portable Toilets
Kunrui Peng Designs the AirPot, a Lightweight Toilet Design
Multifunctional Cardboard QSR Packaging
McDonald's and Leo Burnett Unveil the Tablebag
Two-in-One Drinking Vessels
Bottlecup Combines an Insulated Water Bottle with a Coffee Cup
Plastic-Reduced Handwash Bottles
PZ Cussons Taps Terracycle to Create Refillable Packaging
Post-Apocalyptic Aluminum Furniture
Students at HEAD Genève Create 2084, Diorama of the Future
Playful Public Seating Designs
The London Festival of Architecture Boasts a Series of Seats
Fan-Shaped Stackable Stool Concepts
The StOol Concept is Crafted to Use in Minimal Spaces
Upcycled Ice Cream Desserts
Salt & Straw's Pints of the Month Help to Reduce Food Waste
Discarded Shoe-Created Stools
The WU Series by BENTU Design is a Sustainable Alternative
Outdoor Water Sink Stations
Weltrevee Presents the New Contemporary Waterworks Outdoor Sink
Sustainable Produce Packaging
These Cascades Eco-Friendly Produce Baskets are Recycled
Odorless Compost Kitchen Bins
The Mill Kitchen Bin Automatically Recycles Food Scraps
Intricate Food Waste Teahouses
Mitsubishi Jisho Design Uses Food Waste Materials for Its Pavilion
Recycled Ocean Plastic Lighting
LightArt Presents the Ocean Coil Collection of Lamps
Self-Cleansing Antimicrobial Vases
The POTR Letterbox Vase Leverages Copper Properties
Plastic-Exploring Art Exhibitions
The Everlasting Plastics Exhibition Explores Plastic Dependency
Subterranean Garden Installations
Tideway is Bringing Attention to the Thames Tideway Tunnel
Micro-City Housing Nooks
Notan Office Transforms an Industrial Site in Brussels
Repurposed Brick Public Furniture
Akasaki Vanhuyse's FLOAT Bench is Intriguing & Eco-Friendly
Upcycled Material Musical Instruments
The Yamaha Upcycling Guitar Concept Models are Sustainable
Urban Debris-Crafted Portable Lamps
We+ Designs the Beautiful Remli Lamp Using Rubble and Debris
Weekend Excursion City Vehicles
The Playbox Urban Mobility Vehicle is Imagined for 2040
Versatile Egg-Shaped Waste Bins
Gianluca Soldi Designs a Next-Gen Waste Bin for Soldidesign
Sustainable QSR Litter Adverts
McDonald's Malta Presents New Captivating Eco-Centric Campaigns
Curbside Waste Bags
TerraCycle Launches a New Zero Waste Bag for Hard-to-Recycle Waste Streams
Sustainable Upcycled Glass Cups
HMM Design Creates a Unique Eco-Friendly Glass Cup
Upcycled Firefighter Suit Jackets
The Vollebak Garbage Jacket is Rugged and Flame-Resistant
Odor-Busting Waste Composters
This Compact Machine Allows For Convenient Indoor Composting
Upcycled Sculptural Exhibitions
Madeline Continues to Grow her EPS [Expanded Polystyrene] Series
Subterranean Courtyard Galleries
Buzz Designs the Hermit Space Yards in Beijing Park
Found Objects-Formed Art Collections
LMU Joins Benchmark to Create the Aldgate Gold Project
Upcycled Stool Designs
Space Copenhagen Designs a Stool with Coffee Shells and E-Waste for Mater
Plastic-Free Compostable Sportswear
Community Clothing's Organic Athletic Uses Natural Materials
Waste Tarp-Made Public Seating
The Membran Collective Joins the Urban Networks Project
Global Design-Honoring Stool Capsules
Colección Estudio & Difane Join Forces on the Basurto Stool
Intuitive Countertop Composters
The Vego Kitchen Composter Enhances Home Gardening
Urban Waste-Made Furniture
Javier Guzmán Cervantes and Ex Soup Join on an Exhibition
Upcycled Plastic Construction Companies
'Kubik' Uses Plastic Waste as a Sustainable Material
Stone Waste Street Lights
The Conceptual 'Pebble' Street Light Offers Ambient Illumination
Electronic Packaging-Made Stools
Razeen Mohammed Designs the Portable EDGAR Stool
Microplastic Particle-Transformed Designs
The Tyre Collective Creates Products from Particles
Upcycled Plastic Furniture Series
Kasper Kyster Presents the Crafting Plastic Series
Wasteful Fashion Campaigns
Vestiaire Collective Reminded People to Shop Mindfully on Black Friday
Compostable Foodservice Packaging
These Sabert Pulp Food Containers are Convenient
Rustic Ruin-Inspired Aquariums
Tatiana Bilbao Estudio Designs The Sea of Cortez Research Center
Sawdust-Created Biodegradable Casts
DART Lab's BioMatters Project Creates a Concrete Cast
Colorful Sustainable Recycled Stools
Alexander Latersztain Designs the Stump Recycled Stools
User-Friendly Kitchen Composters
Compost Genie is a Simple Solution for First-Time Composters
Sustainable Repurposed Clay Bricks
Mutina and Konstantin Grcic Create Eco-Friendly Bricks
Tubular Metal Furniture Collections
Tim Teven Designs the Tube Collection of Furniture
Closet Cleanout Programs
The Container Store's Closet Clean Out Resale Program Slows Fashion Waste
Statement Street Art
Alex Chinneck’s Surreal Street Art Transforms Bristol's Urban Landscape
Reusable Cafe Packaging
SFU Reduces Waste with Tap to Reuse and Smart Return Bin Tech
Galvanized Beer Hall Facades
Gundry + Ducker Design the Camden Town Brewery in Kentish Town
Repurposed Waste Transit Tiles
Jeffrey Miller Creates Riles for the London Underground
Juxtaposing Garden Home Designs
Studio North Designs the Custom Garden Garage in Calgary
Adorable Public Rubbish Bins
SWNA Created a Set of Rubbish Bins for Design Seoul 2.0
Upcycled Wine Brands
Rotterdam Urban Winery Addresses the Food Waste Crisis
Junkyard-Inspired Art Projects
ÉCAL and Philippe Malouin Unveil the Junkyard Diving Project
3D-Printed Terracotta Cooler Designs
Entreautre Creates the Biomimcry 3D-Printed Terracotta Cooler
Litter-Reducing Bitcoin Progams
Swedish City Malmö Introduces a Buttcoin ‘Crypto’ Program
Ruin-Adaptive Shipping Container Homes
Patrick Bradley Architects Forms the Barneys Ruins Project
Discarded Theater Screen Lamps
Haneul Kim Transforms Waste into Lighting Designs
Bold Patterned Tubular Benches
Rik van Veen Designs the Leopard Bench with a Bright Look
Alien-Inspired Metal Stool Concepts
Riley MacKay Designs the Sustainable Metal Stool Concept
Personal Cubicle Concepts
Ma. Camilla Isabel Reyes Designs a Personal Working Pod Concept
Minimal Urban City Apartments
GRT Architects Designs the East Village Apartment in NY
Squishy Clay-Made Daybeds
Niveau Zéro Atelier Designs the Soft Soil Daybed From Waste Clay
Broken Bike Lock Furniture
Design Students Showcase the People and Places Exhibition
Garage-Converted Box Theaters
Dash Marshall Completes the Transformed Detroit Public Theater
Cardboard Box-Transformed Furniture
Max Lamb Presents the Box Exhibition at Gallery Fumi
Upcycled Paint Boxes
Up Paint's Up Box Helps Consumers Ship Back & Recycle Old Paint
Autumnally Scented Trash Bags
Cinnamon Pumpkin Spice Ultra Strong Trash Bags Keep Homes Fresh
Urban Green Space Overhauls
Four of London's green spaces will receive a makeover
City-Honoring Furniture Projects
The Symbiotic Urban Furniture Project is Imaginative
Oversized Colorful Dynamic Planters
Tuleste Factory and Manscrapers Launch the TFM Collection
Industrial Warehouse-Inspired Offices
Carr Designs a New Office Block with Industrial Themes
Accessible Floating Public Pools
+ POOL Can Be Utilized in Bodies of Water Around the City
Upcycled Down Furniture Series
Christoph Kurzmann Breathes New Life to Old Furniture
Whimsical Sculptural Furniture Series
Micah Rosenblatt Presents the City Block Series in Art Show
Nature-Inspired Design Objects
Students at Tecnológico de Monterrey Design the Plant-Based Series
Nature-Connecting Design Installations
OMCC and Diez Office Unveil the Vert Installation
Artful Dockside Installations
London Festival of Architecture Gets Benches for Pews and Perches
Artful Seaweed-Inspired Bin Magnets
Alixe Ronchi Designs the Magnetic Edition of Vipp's Bins
Miniature Sanitized Cabinet Concepts
Yujin Lee Designs a New Cabinet for 210 PD.GROUP
Repurposed Imperfection-Embraced Buildings
Civic Architects & VDNVP Elevate a Series of Workspaces
Cost-Efficient Sustainable Bags
Paragon Debuts a New Range of Garbage Bags Made with Plastic Waste
Rustic Industrial Valet Trays
The Puebco Recycled Steel Valet Tray Has a Rustic Finish
Sawdust Scrap Recyclable Stools
Renaud Defrancesco Designs the Briket Stool for Firewood
Artisanal Interior Storage Systems
Alexandre Dubreuil Creates the Dice Design System