Simplehuman, Sensor Trash Can

[Acquire from simplehuman]

The one object in the kitchen you never have to touch.

Voice and motion sensor · Brushed stainless steel · 58 litres, two compartments

Why it's here

A bin is used more often than anything else in the kitchen, usually with both hands full. This one opens when you tell it to, or when your hand comes near, and closes again by itself. We chose it because something that works every time without being touched has a beauty of its own, and because it is a plain steel rectangle that asks for no attention at all.

The object

Speak, or pass a hand above the sensor, and the lid rises. Once open, the sensor holds it up for as long as you are working beside it, and it stays shut when you only walk past. One side takes waste and the other recycling, each in its own bucket. The steel is coated to resist fingerprints, and a geared motor moves the lid slowly and quietly.

Living with it

Put it where your hands are busiest: beside the prep counter or the sink. Guests work it out in a second, and most of them mention it. It is a small daily ease that you stop noticing only because it never fails.

Origin: Designed in California
Material: Fingerprint-resistant stainless steel
Capacity: 58 litres (34 waste, 24 recycling)
Operation: Voice and motion sensor

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