Swap-O-Matic vending machine attempts to reduce waste
Brooklyn designer Lina Fenequito has come up with a new concept to curtail the amount of garbage and landfills that we produce each day. It’s called Swap-O-Matic vending machine wherein second-hand belongings of one person are found a new owner. The machine hosts several compartments containing whatever its users have placed inside and also a touchscreen interface. Users get items using credit instead of money and everybody starts of with 3 free credits and then earn one more each time they donate something to the machine. They ‘buy’ an item with one credit and they also have the option of simply swapping an item of their own for one already in the machine where there are no credits involved. I reckon a barter system of sorts. (Turning back time, are we?)
The system could be a free shot for the dishonest type, but it could be negated with safeguard of e-mail address providing access to account, enquired before every transaction. A system like this helps to reflect on our daily consumption and inspires a movement. It has been stationed across various locations around New York City and Lina plans to resurrect more machines across the US and the world too.
[Gizmag]
