Why are Simplehuman trash cans so popular?
Who knew garbage could be such an integral part of a kitchen aesthetic?
I believe that Simplehuman brand trashcans are the perfect symbol of thoughtless over-consumption. I have two reasons:
They don’t solve an actual problem. Instead, Simplehuman created “problem awareness” by drawing attention to ugly kitchen trashcans–a problem most people didn’t know they had because trashcans lived under the kitchen sink.
Their product encourages thoughtless consumer behavior that makes spaces messier. By designing a kitchen trashcan so large it had to be kept on the floor of one’s kitchen rather than put away in a cabinet, the brand increased messiness and clutter for its consumers.
Over time, the Simplehuman aesthetic became normalized. We see it as entirely reasonable to have garbage displayed in a kitchen that clearly has enough space to conceal a trash can. Thus, the Simplehuman garbage can became the expensive home good everyone bought, but no one thought twice about.
Why it matters, the Global Footprinting Network (GFN) estimates that we’d need 3.9 Earths to sustain a world population of seven billion at American consumption levels. Deciding not to buy a Simplehuman brand waste bin will do little to move the needle, and neither will individual consumption decisions alone, but thinking critically about what we consume is an important start. Simplehuman garbage cans replaced perfectly good wastebins simply because we wanted something newer and prettier, adding to the nearly 300 million tons of municipal solid waste Americans generate yearly.
Environmental concerns aside, I believe that form increasingly follows dysfunction as people buy products that solve perceived problems rather than legitimate ones. Life will always involve some friction that requires time and attention to manage. At no point should our design decisions highlight that we’re too lazy to open up a cupboard to put something in a trash can or take our trash out so infrequently that we need to have 50 liters of garbage sitting in our kitchens.
Why I care. I spend a lot of time thinking critically about my consumption. I know everyone is doing their best in a culture that values having ever more stuff, but I think we should all be more reflective about our consumption. Not just because of the environmental impact but also because buying things thoughtlessly has a mental cost.
For example, I will likely buy anything that sells me feelings of control and organization, only to feel disappointed when it doesn’t do that because, more often than not, I am the problem. An expensive trashcan won’t make me a cleaner, more organized person—unfortunately, I’ll continue to be my messy self but have a fancy trashcan and more conspicuous garbage.
Additionally, I don’t understand who wants to have their trashcan on their kitchen floor. Look at this TikTok and tell me why this person has the trashcan beside the island. That kitchen is big; she has the space to put it under the sink! I don’t understand why it would take up floor space. Am I the only one bothered by this?
Here’s the rub. As a first step in becoming more thoughtful about your consumption, think critically about bandwagon products and the problem they may or may not be solving for you. Be honest and ask yourself whether there’s an underlying behavioral problem you’re asking a product to solve. Simplehuman created a problem and then supplied the solution, like most other popular consumer brands.
If your kitchen is a mess and your trashcan is overflowing, you may need to clean your kitchen and take the trash out, but spare yourself the $200 garbage can.