KOMPOT - Phase 1- (Ideation Stage) - New Product Development Project

 KOMPOT

"Kompot is a technological compost bin developed using bricolage engineering techniques, designed to convert household food waste into compost with minimal energy and time consumption."

Problem Statement:

"Winters in the United Kingdom slow down the compost process."

1. Team Creation:

2. Problem Ideation

The Problem

Early in the collaboration, the teams needed to address how UK winters slow outdoor composting. To deal with the problem in hand, the teams focussed on following aspects of the problems. 

a) Composting depends on micro-organisms that require sufficient temperature and humidity.

b)When these drop below certain levels, decomposition slows significantly—from about three months in warm climates to up to two years in cold, damp conditions.

The Solution

The teams designed a prototype called KOMPOT (see prototype ideation figures) with built-in temperature and humidity control. A 3–5 square foot bin size was decided for efficient heat distribution.

 

The Corridor Principle Solution

As work progressed, another issue was identified: urban areas lack effective gardening spaces and food waste disposal systems. Interviews revealed that residents struggle with smelly, leaky kitchen bins due to food scraps, creating unhygienic conditions. 

To address the following issues:  

a. Overflowing bins

b.Smelly Kitchen waste

c. Inadequate food waste disposal systems 

The bin needed to be compact for indoor use, portable for flexible placement in areas like balconies or small gardens, and spacious enough to manage daily kitchen food waste efficiently.

3. Prototype Ideation 

Prototype Ideation Stage-1

 

   Prototype Ideation Stage-2

4. Minimal Viable Product Development 

After the ideation stage for effectively controlling the temperature and humidity of compost for household composting, the design engineer proceeded to the prototype development stage, which involved testing the product in real-life scenarios.