Compost, Baby! by Olivia Guethling

Compost, baby! Applied Systems Thinking to waste disposal

A design report for gDiapers by Jake McIntire Melody Rowell Olivia G端thling Sean Tichnell Shannon Paine

Design Philosophy

Our guiding philosophy for this project is two-foldâ&#x20AC;&#x160;â&#x20AC;&#x160;: 1) Simplicity and 2) Ease of use By embracing simplicity in each design choice, we hope to pare down the design to a minimum of parts and pieces, including as many of the needs for successful composting within the core design of the bin as possible. This dovetails with making the design easy to use. By eliminating unnecessary complexity wherever possible, we hope to increase the utility of this design without sacrificing function.

Thinking outside of the box.

Olivia G端thling | Creative Director, Layout Jake McIntire | Product Design Shannon Paine | Illustrator Melody Rowell | Design Ethnography Sean Tichnell | Project Manager, Editor December 17, 2013 Pacific Northwest College of Art Collaborative Design, Master of Fine Arts Portland, Oregon

Abstract

Following from the brief proposed by gDiapers for the redesign of the UK based hotbin, our team has explored the issues and systems surrounding the disposable diaper industry and home composting. This report explores the problems inherent in the design of a hot composter as well as those related to adoption, use and potential barriers thereto. The resulting design flows from a principle of simplicity, in manufacture, assembly and use, and is intended to address the concerns of gDiapers as well as incorporating feedback from gDiaper users and composters. Part of our design considerations also focus on the larger systems in which disposable diapers and hotbin composters will exist. The result of this process is a preliminary design for review, requiring investor input and further prototyping and testing to determine viability.

Problem definition

One of the main problems facing the diaper industry is throwing them away. The continually increasing squandering of natural resources, skyrocketing financial and ecological costs in an unsustainable, sales-driven economic model of disposability must change. Tens of billions of single-use, sewage filled non-biodegradable diapers, manufactured from non-renewable fossil fuels, filled with toxic chemicals end up in landfills every year where they are commingled with every other bit of made-for-the-dump garbage our consumer driven society discards daily, in the mistaken belief that once » thrownaway « all of this trash magically vanishes. This leads to thousands of acres being converted into a toxic wasteland, poisoning earth and groundwater with viruses, bacteria and toxic plastics and chemicals that may persist in the environment for decades. In recognition of this, gDiaper has designed a diaper insert that can be composted as a great step toward sustainability. However, this design faces many obstacles to adoption.

One way vs. Natural circle

Americans are conditioned to think in terms of a one-way use of resources, i.e. extraction – manufacture – use – dump, end of story. This concept is fundamentally flawed. In a closed system, all materials must be continually recycled in order to maintain a system. If this model is taken to its logical conclusion, then sooner or later, everything ends up in the dump. General disregard of the importance of natural closed systems is a significant obstacle.

The Mess

Americans are unused to dealing with their garbage and conditioned to ignore the consequences of wasteful behavior in an out-ofsight, out-of mind model that boils down to » Take my nasty junk somewhere I can’t see it and throw it in a pit. « Having to personally deal with one’s own waste, especially our feces, is contrary to decades, if not centuries, of social conditioning. Educating the general public to see human waste as a resource instead of something disgusting to be discarded as quickly as possible is another barrier.

Home composting While home composting is increasing in the US, most people are amateur composters at best, with little understanding of the process and requirements for successful, fast, efficient, and perhaps most importantly non-smelly composting. Of those that do have the necessary skills and desire to compost, adding feces to the composting process may still face resistance.

Pathogens Composting human waste entails the additional requirement of killing disease causing organisms. This includes killing pathogens that will be present in the compost tea that drains out of the hotbin. Educating the public on the importance of adhering to specific procedures in order to kill pathogens may be difficult. Also containing and decontaminating this liquid safely is a significant problem.

Time In the fast paced culture of busy-ness fostered by modern American society, promoting a product that requires investing additional time and effort into a process already approached with distaste is an additional barrier. The more steps and hassle added to the process increases the likelihood of avoidance in favor of business as usual.

Competition

gDiaper holds a minority position in the disposable diaper industry, with well-established and entrenched competition from major brands. While this compostable diaper is designed to be a niche product, maintaining this product line as a minority choice may not forward the goals of keeping waste out of landfills.

Design Flaws In our research, we have spoken with gDiaper users who have abandoned the product due to problems they have experienced with the design. One of the most significant of these for some is the mess caused by the mismatch between square diaper insert and round baby, leading to feces leaking out of the diapers and becoming embedded in the outer shell, which clients found difficult to clean. Another is the multistage nature of the process that requires a significant increase in the investment of time and energy into changing a diaper.

Backgroundâ&#x20AC;&#x160;â&#x20AC;&#x160;: Diapers

The US disposable diaper market is huge, with tens of billions of diapers sold annually in the US alone. Over 90% of these diapers end up in landfills, making them the third largest disposable item thrown away in America. Yet there are more problems to this situation than just burying toxic sewage. Once in a landfill it can take up to 500 years for diapers to decompose. Attempts at recycling have been unsuccessful to date. Disposable diapers are touted as a cheaper alternative to reusable cloth diapers, with many studies showing that the cost of washing a reusable diaper to be much higher than purchasing and using disposables. However there are other studies that claim washing cloth diapers is less costly. In such a cost comparison several factors must be considered, including the externalized costs of the consequences in both the extraction, shipping, refinement of oil, the costs of manufacture, shipping and other logistical support, as well as the long term toxic contamination resulting from disposal. These costs may not be apparent to the consumer, yet they still have a considerable impact on many systems, including economics. For example, as the supply of oil decreases and costs rise, so too will the related costs of manufacturing plastics, shipping, et al. Even so, the availability of fresh water and the energy to heat it and run washing machines is no less of a concern.

Health is a prime concern in this system, not only regarding the toxic effects of dumping raw sewage in landfills, but in the manufacture and use of disposable diapers. Most of which are made with traces of Dioxin, Tributyl-tin (tbt), and polyacrylate, all of which are industrial poisons. Dioxin is a highly toxic and persistent chemical that accumulates in fatty tissues. Exposure to dioxins result in skin lesions, altered liver function, impairment of the immune, endocrine and nervous systems, reproductive toxicity, and cancer. Tributyltin is another poison that is known to cause hormonal problems, damaging the nervous and reproductive systems as well as causing skin lesions and liver damage. TBT has also been linked with increased rates of obesity due to its effects on the endocrine system. Polycarylate SAPs have also been shown to have negative side effects, and have been removed from tampons due to links between it and toxic shock syndrome. Further the Archive of Diseases in Childhood proved that disposable diapers can blunt or destroy the testicular cooling mechanism which is important for normal spermatogenesis, leading to infertility. And, most commonly, disposable diapers cause diaper rash from prolonged contact of moisture, urine and feces with the skin. This condition was almost unheard of before the advent of disposable diapers.

How do gDiapers compare to disposable and reusable diapers in a comprehensive life-cycle and safety analysis ? How many trees are felled for the fill material ? How much oil goes into producing and transporting cotton and other feedstocks to the manufacturing process ? Are diapers as we know them the best solution for catching baby waste ? We recommend further analysis of the system to discover other opportunities for reducing the ecological footprint of the existing system as well as finding new ways to solve the problem that may not have been considered.

It is also important to note that other factors may significantly impact the American culture of disposability in the near future. Evidence is mounting for the veracity of theories on peak oil, and the decline such reduced availability of oil will impose on economic systems. Such a decline has far reaching implications for more than just the diaper industry. Replacing the current model of disposability with one that considers the closed nature of ecosystems may be key to economic survival in the near future.

Background : Composting

Both personal and community based composting is on the rise, however, there are still drawbacks and flaws in current thinking and practice. For personal use, most people either feel composting is too much work, smells too bad, is too inconvenient, or isn’t even a consideration. For community based efforts, too much time and resources are expended in transporting organic materials to far off composting sites that may be over 100 miles away.

Composters are fairly simple machines. All they need is a minimum volume container to hold sufficient materials of the correct ratios to compost, a way to aerate the mass, and a method to empty the bin. Composter bins currently on the market all try to make these necessary functions easier on the consumer. Compost bin manufacturers understand that composting is more of a hassle than simply throwing things away, so they try to make composting as convenient as possible. However, smell and leakage are still unavoidable issues of concern. The smell can be minimized by maintaining the correct ratios of » brown « to » green « matter, however some things, like baby feces or salmon carcases, are going to have a stronger objectionable odor than others. Liquid drainage is an unavoidable by product of the composting process, a problem most compost bins address with simple drainage channels that allow the compost tea to drain onto whatever surface is underneath them. This will require an additional treatment process in composting human waste to reduce pathogens.

However, home or community composting has significant benefits, not just in reducing the amounts of waste entering landfills. As we have seen at Kailish Ecovillage, composting of human waste doesn’t necessarily mean gross. The sizeable installation of compost bins there for that purpose have a mild odor and are not inherently messy. In addition, the philosophy of returning to closed, sustainable systems adds other value from reducing waste entering sewage and municipal trash systems to building a genuine sense of community and providing a valuable end product. That end product is used to fertilize extensive gardens on site that are far more attractive than a chemically treated lawn and have the additional benefits of providing exercise and food for the inhabitants.

Selling compost bins to individuals continues this trend. How many people would share their compost bin with their neighbors ? How would the average person feel if their neighbor started putting trash in their trashcan ? Such a scenario is far more likely to be met with a negative reaction than a positive one. Active internal community composting, as opposed to a system similar to garbage pick-up may be an opportunity for furthering the goals of reducing consumer waste as well as increasing sales of gDiapers as closer ties to one’s neighbors in such an effort would increase both knowledge of the diaper and the importance of closed, sustainable systems.

Most home composting is promoted to the individual person or family unit. This reflects a trend in American society in which people are islands, isolated from his/her neighbors by fences, property lines, televisions, and » social networking « shortcuts like Facebook. This may seem counter-intuitive to claim that TV and Facebook isolate us, yet they do in many ways. Before TV, people spent much more time involved in community activities, they knew all of their neighbors, and were less likely to spend great lengths of time indoors. Now people spend many hours a week parked in front of their TVs, they often don’t know their neighbors and community engagement has significantly decreased. Likewise, Facebook connects us on a surface level with our » friends «, yet also distances us by placing an inanimate intermediary between us, often replacing face to face interaction.

Even so, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of compost bins on the market today in every size, style and price range conceivable. In many respects, designing a new composter is akin to re-inventing the wheel. The sole real reason for redesigning existing models for the purpose of composting what amounts to raw sewage is the lack of ability to maintain and monitor the temperature range necessary to destroy pathogens. To address this issue, it may be also be possible to offer insulating materials for existing compost bins to provide the necessary temperature requirements, or institute some other process to effectively pasteurize the end product.

Design Requirements

The requirements we must achieve in the design of a new composter are as follows : It must be durable, with an expected lifespan of 20+ years. One of the goals of gDiapers is to prevent waste from entering landfills. We suggest that a product designed solely for short term use would be more likely to increase the waste stream rather than subtract from it. Also, encouraging adoption of composting as a long term alternative to landfills goes beyond the short-term need for diapers.

Following the principle of simplicity, our hotbin should also be easy to use and understand, with simple instructions for assembly and use with an absolute minimum of moving parts.

The product must be affordable to ship. Lightweight, yet sturdy materials such as industrial plastics, resins, or polycarbonate materials may be the most desirable products for construction. Consideration must be given to both the impact of primary production of the materials as well as the costs of replacement. For example, a cheaper product made from a » green « material that has short-term viability may have a larger cumulative impact than one that is made from another material that lasts considerably longer. Also, a composter that breaks down after a short period of time does not encourage continued practice of composting. Second, the bin should be of modular, flat-pack design that may be packed in the smallest possible volume for transport.

The inclusion of an accurate temperature gauge on the end cap of the hotbin will allow the user to ensure the proper temperatures for pathogen treatment have been achieved. One of the key requirements of successful composting is consistent mixing and introduction of oxygen to the compost. By designing a bin that rotates, we eliminate the need for additional tools and make turning and aerating the compost a simple matter of spinning the bin once a day.

The hotbin must also maintain an interior temperature sufficient to destroy pathogens associated with human waste. In large part this depends on the thermal properties of the materials chosen for construction, which R value must be investigated through prototyping.

The hotbin must be affordable, with a MSRP of $250 or less. We address this requirement in our design by choosing simplicity wherever possible in materials and construction.

Composter Feedback The people who used both gDiapers and the Hotbin had important feedback on existing design issues. The most common complaints involving the current compost bin highlight its design flaws :

•

The rectilinear bin is too tall and not convenient for turning the compost, requiring a lot of effort and additional tools to stir the mass.

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Material tends to stick in the corners or the bottom of the bin and not fully compost.

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The material the bin is made from is relavtively fragile and does not hold up well.

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The door system for removing the finished compost is not well thought out, and is difficult to remove and replace, especially if there is unfinished composting mass within the bin.

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Capacity to compost all organic waste produced by a household was insufficient.

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High moisture content of diapers slows the compost process, makes turning difficult and increases the smell.

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SAP may become a problem by retaining too much moisture.

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Proper aeration is lacking in this design, with little to no air circulation.

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Leakage was a continual problem not addressed in this design.

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Other materials are needed to maintain correct composting ratios. i.e. straw, sawdust, etc.

Design overview

Our team has pursued several options. The primary direction of our design is discussed here. Our design consists of a series of flat panels that may be quickly and easily assembled into a rotating cylinder and base as shown belowâ&#x20AC;&#x160;â&#x20AC;&#x160;: This design mirrors many of the best aspects of existing composters while innovating on materials and assembly. Each panel of the hexagonal cylinder except one is a solid piece, joined together by a dual sided channel. These panels have grooves on either side that will fit snugly around the end caps, locking them in place once assembled. The end caps have air holes to allow for air flow within the compost and one side has a thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of the bin. The sixth panel is slightly modified to serve as the door to the hotbin. Once the composting cylinder is assembled, the outer stabilizing rings are added for additional structural support and to assist with rotation. This cylinder will fit onto a base also assembled from flat panels that will act as a reservoir for compost tea that can be treated for pathogens by solarization, bleach or hydrogen peroxide. All of these are inexpensive, non-persistent and effective anti-microbial agents for detoxifying the compost tea. We also recommend the entirety of the structure to be coated with SharkletÂŽ biomimetic surface which takes advantage of the structural properties of shark skin to repel soil and bacteria.

This design has several advantages. The panel design makes for easy and inexpensive fabrication and the ability to flat pack for shipping. Also if any one component should break, the customer can order that single part, instead of having to replace the entire hotbin. Further, creating a design in which the entire compost bin rotates to stir and aerate the contents obviates the need for laborious and smelly additional work. This design also conserves moisture while draining away excess to maintain the correct ratio of water to mass. The cylinder can be easily spun on rollers that are mounted with bearings in the base. Also the cylinder can easily be rolled to a garden area for dumping the finished compost, as the base can be easily carried to dump the compost tea.

Exploded This diagram shows the parts of the hotbin and indicates how they will assemble.

Shipping All parts of the hotbin are lightweight and can be flat packed in a small number of boxes for efficient and inexpensive shipping.

Reinforcing Wheel & Roller

Cyclinder Panel

Ball & Socket Joint End panel

Base & Reservoir

Drain

Side 21

Front

Assembly

Below, is a breakdown of the different pieces the consumer will receive to assemble the compost bin. Following this assembly list, is an example of the instructions the consumer will use to put the compost bin together.

Hot Compost Assembly Pieces List Compost Tumbler

6x Joint

2x Wheel

2x End

Side Panel

Door

Compost Base

1x Bottom

Compost Base

2x Side Panel

2x Base Cover End

2x Side Panel

1x Base Cover

2x Roller

How to Build Compost Base

How to Build Compost Tumbler 2.

Materials

Strength and hardness. The material must be strong enough to withstand the weight of the compostable materials, repeated long term use and continual movement.

Material selections for manufacture of this design are contingent on several factors.

The most practical and efficient method of increasing the UV protection of a polymer is to impregnate it with Black Carbon. This absorbs UV rays without damage to the polymer and also increases the thermal absorption of the material.

Resistant to UV light. Many plastics and polymers are vulnerable to degradation from ultraviolet radiation in sunlight and become brittle in as little as a few months.

Thermally insulating. To maintain the correct internal temperature required for pathogen removal without adding additional energy inputs to the system, the material must be relatively resistant to transmitting heat.

Resistant to chemical exposure. Compost often contains weak acids, bases or other chemicals that can degrade materials over time.

Low and/or consistent co-efficient of thermal expansion. Since this product will be exposed to a wide range of fluctuating temperatures, thermal expansion and contraction of the materials must be thoroughly examined and tested for viability. In considering materials for this design, it is important that all parts of the machine be made from the same material. This reduces costs of manufacture as well as eliminating the possibility of uneven thermal expansion.

The selection and vetting of materials will require additional research and prototyping. However, we feel that some materials display immediate advantageous characteristics that merit exploration. Among these are ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) plastics, polycarbonates, and carbon fiber impregnated materials. Upon first glance, ABS plastics may have the most utility to this design. They are inexpensive, durable, can be injection molded to any desired shape, have high tensile strength, resistant to chemicals, do not warp under temperature extremes, and are scuff and scratch resistant. These plastics can be extensively modified by varying the ratios of the monomers to produce a wide range of desired characteristics.

Vicat hardness at or above 90Âş C. This is the determination of the softening point for materials that have no definite melting point, such as plastics. It is measured as the temperature at which the specimen is penetrated to a depth of 1 mm by a flat-ended needle with a 1 mm2 circular or square cross-section.

Also, their insulating properties can be modified with the inclusion of a foamed insulating core material such as silicone. This will likely be a necessity as ABS plastic has a low R value. In addition, ABS plastics can be molded with SharkletÂŽ textured surface which is resistant to the growth of bacteria by virtue of its structure. This structure also provides a non-stick surface for macro particles as well.

Glass transition temperature at or above 90Â°C. This is the physical property of amorphous solids such as plastics and non-crystalline metals beyond which the material goes from a solid to a rubberlike or molten state.

What you will needâ&#x20AC;&#x160;â&#x20AC;&#x160;: Brown material to produce carbon Dead leaves, branches and twigs, sawdust or wood chips, coffee filters, cotton and wool rags, shredded pieces of paper, cardboard or newspaper and shredded nut shells. Green material to produce nitrogen Urine, fecal matter, grass clippings and leaves, fruit and vegetable scraps, hair, lint, tea and coffee grounds.

Water

use This concise guide serves as a general reminder of the necessary steps for successful composting. Complete instructions and composting assistance or trouble shooting can be found online through many sources or on a website hosted and administered by gDiapers hotbin division for convenience. Such a website would also serve to increase customer outreach and satisfaction with gDiapers as well as inspire confidence and brand loyalty. Operation of the compost bin is a straightforward process as described above. Gather organic matter, kitchen leavings, yard waste, used diapers, etc, put them in the bin in as close to the correct ratio of carbon to nitrogen as practicable, add compost accelerator, spin regularly and wait. However, it is likely that many people will have a limited understanding of the composting process and support and troubleshooting services will required for a successful experience for the consumer.

AirVent Vent/ liquid drainage Air / Liquid Drainage

Access Doors Access Doors

This illustration easlily demonstrates how to compost :

How to Compost :

Shred your materials The size of compostable materials are ideally about 1 to 2 inches squared.

Keep the compost moist Moisture helps with the breakdown of organic matter. But be sure to not make it too wet. It should be as moist as a wrung out sponge.

Check the temperature Once a barrel is full, let it begin baking. As materials breakdown, it will get warm and let out steam. Once the temperature reaches 50–70° Celsius, it’s ready to be used.

Add shredded materials Try to keep the ratio roughly 30 parts brown to 1 part green.

Occasionally spin your bin This helps speed up the composting process and keeps things airy, which reduces the risk of odor.

Dump the compost Roll the bin to the dumping destination. Slide the door open and allow the compost to fall into your garden !

Questions

We are concerned that an individual hotbin composter may not be the most effective solution to this design problem. Americans are very accustomed to throwing things away and research has shown that even people aware of the urgent need for redesign of the American way of trash often throw organic wastes away simply because trash cans are convenient and compost bins are not. In addition, gDiapers employees who were specifically tasked with composting gDiapers do not always compost ones with feces. It is likely that other gDiaper users will do the same, most likely adding to the sewage or municipal waste streams. This still may have two main benefits if the former option is chosen. One : Such diapers do not add to landfills. Two : in the municipal sewage system, pathogen treatment is built into the system. However, this still entails waste that is not always returned to the ecosystem in a sustainable way. Consideration of the systems in which gDiapers operates for opportunities to instigate higher level changes may be the most effective option for further development. As gDiapers is already committed to reducing the waste stream entering landfills, continued exploration of possible leverage points to affect change may lead to significant insights and opportunities. For instance, there are several alternatives it may be profitable to pursue. The most obvious of which, washable diaper inserts, gDiapers already includes in its product line. Other options could be to redesign the outer shell of the gDiaper to remove non-renewable platics or to examine the sources used for existing disposable diaper inserts. Could the resource chain become more sustainable ? Another possibility would be to promote composting first, and diapers later. Getting people to compost newspapers and potato

peelings is far easier than getting them to compost feces. While there are many advocacy campaigns already in existence promoting composting, these are only minimally effective, with the vast majority of people either unaware of their existence or too busy to consider it as a way of life. Perhaps it is possible to create a system in which it is convenient for average people to compost, such as a curbside pick-up service like that already used for garbage. Such a system can also target businesses where customers routinely throw away compostable products. This type of system is already in place for Portland area restaurants and is widely used by kitchens, however there is a considerable disconnect between back of the house operations and front of the house customer compliance. Is it possible to make compost bins more convenient than trash cansâ&#x20AC;&#x160;? If a compost bin is ready to hand and considerably easier to use, that may encourage much greater awareness and participation in composting and recycling programs. Community and neighborhood composting may also be areas to explore.

manufactured from biodegradable materials could be licensed to other diaper companies for considerable profit. Partnerships with other diaper companies could be highly beneficial.

Other considerations In order to promote a cultural shift away from disposability to a model of cycling resources through a closed system, it behooves gDiapers to promote more than the composting of diapers. While diapers are a significant source of municipal solid waste, gDiapers core product holds a minority market share of the disposable diaper industry and the composting of diapers faces additional barriers even among company employees as shown by the demonstration projects with the existing hotbin.

Packaging is also a significant source of waste. gDiapers are sold in a plastic packaging, most likely destined for landfills. What other packaging materials could be used for a more sustainable product that are also economicalâ&#x20AC;&#x160;? Innovation in packaging materials that are competitive with current methods could have a significant impact on the waste stream and become a successful subsidiary company. It is important to consider that as oil derived products become more expensive, as they inevitably will, alternatives that are not now competitive may become so.

While it is likely that many gDiapers clients may already compost their organic waste, as the audience base for this product is more likely to be environmentally conscious than the average consumer, this is not a given, nor does it consider other important issues. One of the most significant of these issues is attracting new customers. Using diapers as an entry to the world of composting may be counterproductive. By offering products or services for people to compost less negatively charged wastes first and introducing diapers after they are used to the idea and process of composting, it may be possible to both diversify and increase market share.

Further, other diaper companies must be aware of the negative effects disposability has on the environment. A diaper patent that is as effective as modern plastic disposables, yet

Evaluation Our approach centers on consideration of the systems in which gDiapers exist and on the inclination of people to make choices based on convenience just as much (if not more so) as on environmental responsibility. By re-designing existing compost technology to function as a pathogen eliminating method of composting, and using a minimalist approach, we have designed a product that can be effective and easy to use for home composting of everything. Even so, this design concept is still in the early stages and requires considerable vetting before it can be put into production. However, we feel this is a profitable track to pursue. The design also provisionally meets the design requirements. ABS plastics are durable and lightweight, can be easily and cheaply injection molded into all the required pieces. The individual components can be manufactured to include a foamed silicone core to provide insulation for temperature maintenance, and they flat pack for easy shipping. The design is easy to assemble without additional tools and is easy to use, with clear and simple composting directions with minimal additional inputs. Composting is also made easier and more efficient by choosing a rotating design that eliminates the need for stirring or additional aeration. The base collects and contains the compost tea runoff for treatment and use. Should gDiapers wish to continue with this design, further inputs are necessary. Various materials need to be evaluated to determine the best fits for structural appropriateness and economic viability. The design must then be prototyped and field tested to discover its strengths and weaknesses. Once design is finalized, shipping, assembly, set-up and operation should be beta tested by real world consumers for feedback.

Also, we feel design ethnography research is essential. We need to become more fully conversant with potential clients’ needs and desires for such a product as well as discover how marketable such a product is likely to be, especially in light of the plethora of alternative choices already in the market. Several questions need to be answered. What do potential clients want ? Who will be willing to buy and use this product ? Who will not ? Why or why not ? What is a reasonable MSRP ? What are they willing to compost ? What are they not ? Are they able to compost ? How much support will they need ? How rigorously will people adhere to the recommendations for pathogen elimination ? How will they know that all pathogens have been eliminated ? Will they have enough confidence in this system to actively use it ? How likely is it that many people will pay insufficient attention to this requirement and introduce disease causing organisms into their environment ? It is a virtual certainty that at least some people will not follow instructions and expose themselves to potentially harmful bacteria. How will liability be addressed ? Will this be a continued lifestyle choice or will it be a short term project ? Will condo or apartment dwellers be able to use this service ? Are homeowners the only clients this should serve ?

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