Project Overview

A bucket strives to change the traditional form of household cleaning through smart and ergonomic design to reduce contamination and conserve water, while improving the efficiency of logistical transportation.

Organisation

E.D. Oates PTY LTD

Team

Frankie Ngan - Product Development Engineer
Karl Radolovic - Technical Manager
Glen Logie - Product & Project Manager
Richard Southey - National Retail Manager
Owen Baillie - Operations Manager

Project Brief

At a time when consumer awareness of sustainable water usage and household health and hygiene is increasing, Oates took the initiative to develop a product to meet the needs of the smarter consumer.

The goal of the project was to design a bucket that not only focuses on the average consumer, but also to focus on the retailers and logistics aspects.

Project Need

The final outcome produced the most exciting product Oates has launched since the Oates widely renowned and award winning All Australian Mop Bucket.

We call it, the Ezy Squeeze® Ultra Bucket.

The features we bought into the retail market include:
• Dual separate compartments for clean and dirty water - reduces contamination within the household. Less dirty water means less refilling.
• Flexible Ezy Squeeze® wringer - a wringer that requires less force to use for the aging population.
• Anti-tipping handle – patented handle feature keeps bucket upright at all times preventing water from tipping during transportation, reducing potential hazards at home.
• Stackable design – world’s first patented design can be nested with the Ezy Squeeze® wringer attached to the main bucket, increasing the efficiency of retail space and logistics.

Retailers have challenged the conventional method of selling wringer mop buckets. The wringer and bucket are not attached together at point of sale as the product as a whole is not space efficient. While the consumers are left with a product that is not assembled causing confusion with the parts to take.

Design Challenge

The design challenge was overcoming the barrier of nesting the product together as no product of the same nature can nest together with the mop wringer attached to the bucket.

Another challenge surfaced in relation to overcoming the product nesting was the structural integrity and performance of the wringer. By designing the wringer so the bucket can be nested down, the wringer visually lacked structural integrity.

The design issues were ironed out through rigorous physical and mechanical testing to meet Oates high quality standards.

Sustainability

The two key areas this product aims to achieve are:
-Within the normal household
• Water conservation through reduced water and smarter use of the bucket.
• Less contamination leads to less consumption and usage of cleaning product.

-Within retailers and logistics
• More efficient in transportation from manufacturer to retailer

All three components of the product are 100% recyclable.

All these areas leads to contributing a lower carbon footprint to our environment.