#1589: Tentaclean

I have a real problem when I find rubbish dumped on the street within a few metres of a wastebin.

Today’s invention is a way to help deal with litter. It achieves this by making bins more interactive.

Each bin would contain a large number of fine threads held on reels. The free end of each thread would be equipped with a small magnetic catch, leaflike in shape, so that a loop could be formed in the end of the thread.

Periodically, a fan within the bin would blow these ends of the threads high in the air, causing them to fall to earth in a circular distribution, up to say 5m from the bin.

People would be able to attach light items of rubbish and then watch as these were withdrawn back into the bin under the action of the same motor that drives the fan.

Each thread’s catch would be opened simply by coming into contact with a constriction within the bin, releasing the item of waste to fall inside.