Michael Rees

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University of Nottingham > Engineering > Departments > Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering > PDM Exhibitions > 2023 > MEng students > Michael Rees

Increasing recycling rates whilst removing confusion with the Inficycle kitchen unit.

Hi, I’m Michael, an aspiring design engineer that loves designing and creating high-functioning products through iterative problem solving and design improvement. This is driven by my constant motivation to improve in different aspects of life, building upon my strong design and engineering knowledge base which has been developed over the past few years whilst on the PDM course and whilst on placement at Worcester Bosch.

I enjoy getting into the key details when developing products and components through various mediums, especially through the use of CAD and rapid prototyping such as 3D printing and am looking forward to bringing products into real life throughout my career. The PDM course has equipped me with all the necessary skills needed to be able to exhibit my ability to think laterally to create the best possible solution whilst fulfilling the brief. This has also allowed me to refine my key life skills such as communication, attention to detail, diligence and time management which I have excelled at from a young age due to my background in performance sport.

I particularly enjoy the collaborative approach that can be adopted through design as the best outcome is always achieved when utilising ideas from multiple individuals and working as part of a team. I am looking for a role as a design engineer once graduating in the summer.
Thank you for taking the time to look through my degree show page. If you would like to see more examples of my work or would like to get in touch with me through LinkedIn.

Michael Rees, MEng Product Design and Manufacture

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Inficycle – The Household Waste & Recycling Organisation System

Domestic recycling rates within the UK have largely been stagnant for the past decade and with the government’s 2020 target of 50% of household waste being recycled by weight being missed by a substantial amount at only 44%, something needs to be done to help increase these numbers. The Inficycle unit has been specifically designed to reduce any confusion surrounding what can and can’t be recycled and to organise the user’s household waste into one contained area which will in turn, help to increase recycling rates within the home.

By utilising the already existing infrastructure of barcodes, a database holding information relating to the materials used within pieces of waste packaging including if and where they can be recycled can be accessed once a barcode is scanned using the integrated barcode scanner. This information can then be displayed on the screen for the user to see so they can be informed and educated on recycling basics as well as the built-in LED strips indicating which of the several different compartments that piece of waste should be stored in to ensure they are disposing of their waste in the most responsible way.

The unit has a choice of between 8-14 different compartments to allow the user to collect a large range of different waste types including, but not limited to: general waste; food waste; paper and card; plastic; glass; metals; soft plastics; coffee pods; batteries; fabrics and so on. This gives the user a total of 260 litres of total waste storage and with the average UK household producing 240 litres of waste per week, this means that the user will only need to take their waste out once per week. The unit utilises hands free opening methods such as a pedal mechanism for the general waste bin and integrated push latches for all other compartments with all the compartments being easily cleanable for hygiene purposes. Other features to improve the user experience were also included such as odour removal filters and bin liner retainers for the general and food waste bins.

The unit has also been designed to be retrofitted seamlessly into existing kitchens or be installed with a brand-new kitchen setup with a choice of three different worktop types, or no worktop to fit under an already existing worktop, and various different material choices to meet as many users' needs as possible. Assembly has also been made as easy as possible with the product being supplied as a flat pack unit allowing for easier and more sustainable transport. Some smaller ‘half-sized’ units were also developed to fit into smaller household such as single occupancy households or houses with galley kitchens.