13 February 2009

Pushing Green

Australian designer is â€˜pushingâ€™ green and gaining attention with his take on the humble shopping trolley.

Melbourne-based designer Mark Watson has been announced as the winner of the Design Green Award in the United States.

Watson won the award for his development of a collapsible shopping trolley, the PSV (Personal Shopping Vehicle) – originally developed in conjunction with EcoRecycle Victoria, the Design Institute of Australia and the Centre for Design at RMIT.

“It hasn't really sunk in yet,” Watson says. “I have been hawking the concept around Melbourne for the last 2 years with no success, so it is interesting that internationally the design concept should be so well received.”

Addressing issues of manoeuvrability the trolley allows the shopper to, not just get the shopping from the store to the car, but from the car to the cupboard with ease.

With detachable and re-usable shopping bags the trolley delivers the groceries or other goods to the car, is then collapsed and can be taken home with the user. Alternatively, you could leave the car at home altogether.

Watson has, so far, not had any success finding a manufacturer in Australia, but is hoping the exposure in the US – a nation of shoppers – will churn up some interest.

“When you do the research and determine the direction of the design, you are really on your own. It takes sheer dogged determination to rise above the 'nay sayers' and carry on with the design,” Watson says.

View the full list of winners here.

designgreenproject.org