Used Plastic Containers Get New Lives as Colorful Stools with ‘Tachtit’

Have you ever considered turning your plastic packaging waste into something practical for day-to-day use? A group of designers at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design followed the waste cycle of several plastic containers at a local market and discovered that after being used just once, the vast majority went straight to the landfill. Disheartened by the wastefulness they saw, Avner Balachsan, Maya Shtrigler, Noa Rich and Yohay Alush invented “Tachtit,” (which is Hebrew for “bottom,” but conveniently also sounds a lot like “attached it”) a series of metal legs that give large containers a second lease on life.

The group visited Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda Market, a bustling space with over 250 vendors selling food, drinks, housewares and clothing, daily. To transport their large and bulky inventory down to the market, sellers use plastic containers in all shapes and sizes. However, at the end the day, these colorful vessels litter the market, simply waiting to be taken down to the local dump.

To address the problem they were seeing, the student designers came up with an ingenious idea that would turn the discarded receptacles into seating. The team designed a bent steel frame that could easily support and give structure to a sliced container bottom.

In addition to reducing waste, the invention also does duty as a reminder to recycle and reuse when possible. And like any good design, it reminds us that with a bit of imagination, you can find a great solution to many of life’s common problems.

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