Thank you for your thoughtful question about the environmental impact of our urban trash cans. This is something we're deeply committed to and are constantly working to improve.
A comprehensive life cycle assessment gives us a clearer picture. For our standard 50-gallon urban bin, the total carbon footprint from raw material extraction to delivery is approximately 80-100 kg CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent). Let me break this down for you.
Manufacturing represents about 60% of this total. We primarily use recycled materials—mostly post-consumer recycled plastics and sometimes reclaimed metals. This significantly reduces emissions compared to virgin materials. Our manufacturing facilities have also transitioned to renewable energy sources where possible, and we've optimized production to minimize waste.
Shipping accounts for roughly 25% of the footprint. We consolidate shipments and use efficient routing to distribution centers. For final delivery to your city, we work with logistics partners who are also focused on reducing their emissions, often utilizing ground transport which is more efficient than air freight for our products.
The remaining impact comes from raw material transportation and packaging, which we've minimized by using lightweight, recycled cardboard.
We're transparent about this because we believe it's crucial for making informed decisions. We're actively investing in new technologies and material innovations to lower these numbers even further. We see this not as a fixed answer, but as a baseline for continuous improvement in our journey toward greater sustainability.