The bin that went global

Should you find yourself strolling the vaunted hallways of The National Gallery in London, momentarily looking not at the artwork, but for somewhere to put your rubbish, you will find a bin designed in Wellington and made in New Zealand – a Method Recycling bin. You can find the distinctively sharp lines and bold colours of Method Recycling bins in offices, sports grounds, museums, airports, and opera houses all over the world, and feel proud that yet another Wellington business is making its mark globally with innovative and well-designed products.

Method Recycling began when Steven and India Korner decided it was time to run their own business. Steven, a product designer with an engineering background, and India, who worked in commercial leasing and had trained in graphic design, had diverse skills. Intuitively, they knew that their skills were complementary and together they could do something great. They started by buying a wheelie bin business, and from that learned enough to decide they could do it better. Steven and India didn't see any focus on design in the waste disposal business, but they believed there was a place for it.

Their first bin was made on the kitchen table at home, with two small children underfoot, and in 2015, the business was launched. The product you see today is largely unchanged – the design is good enough to have stood the test of time. Steven and India worked hard to make the product they believed would work. "We just wanted it to be really simple," he said, "but simple is hard."

They’ve since introduced a smaller bin that works better in more confined spaces, added a lid, and launched an internet of things device for measuring waste and creating useful data, but fundamentally the initial design hasn’t changed. That clean design, as well as the clarity of their purpose, is what has made the business the success it is today.

Exporting has been key to growing the business, with 85% of sales coming from overseas. Everything is still made under contract in New Zealand by manufacturers in Whanganui and Christchurch, and it’s a testament to the quality of the product that buyers are willing to source it from so far away.

Growing the business wasn’t always easy, and Steven can easily recall the harder times that so many entrepreneurs live through. “The first year, it was struggle street. We were borrowing, living off the credit card, and we got through that.” When a big order finally came in, they knew it was a turning point. Calls started to come from Australia and further afield, and more big orders followed.

Those orders came from people who wanted a product that not only did the job, but looked good at the same time. Steven and India’s fundamental mission to radically reduce waste going to landfill also resonated with buyers, and that has been the deciding factor in many significant sales. Their products not only support recycling and reducing waste, but are themselves made from between 60% and 80% recycled materials. Recycled plastics collected by Palmerston North City Council – including ice-cream and yoghurt containers – are processed and given a second life in Method’s products.

Looking back on what he has learned along the way, Steven thinks the most important thing is to get the team right, and build the culture you want from the start. Steven also wishes he knew, in the early days, that it wouldn’t be this hard forever. Initial manufacturing problems had Steven babysitting the machinery day and night to get the product out the door and the cash in the door, causing teeth-grinding levels of stress. He recommends, above all, “eating the frog” early. Make the tough calls, don’t let them linger, or the problem just gets bigger and bigger. If you’ve got a hunch something isn’t right, trust that hunch and fix it.

Like other founders interviewed for this series, Steven has always found the Wellington start-up community to be accessible and supportive. "We met some amazing people who came on as advisers who were really important for Method, people who were just really keen to help our young fledgling business."

For Steven, Wellington’s easy lifestyle and its hugely varied mix of culture and activities make it a great place to raise a family and run a business. Steven even sees an upside in Wellington’s much-maligned weather. Wellingtonians are resilient, and accustomed to getting out and doing things rather than waiting for perfect conditions. And when the weather does drive people indoors, they contribute to the city’s rich cultural life.

The next phase for Method is less about changing the bin than expanding its impact – helping organisations understand the financial case for reducing waste, respond to changing regulation, and bring their people with them. It is a fitting next step for a business that began at a Wellington kitchen table: taking something overlooked, applying thoughtful design, and showing that a simple idea made here can change behaviour around the world.

Rapid-fire round with Steven Korner

Favourite Wellington café or restaurant: Spizzico – Taste of Rome, a pizza restaurant on Manners Street

Favourite Wellington mountain bike ride: Mount Victoria. So lucky to have that on our doorstep. Shout out to everyone who maintains the track!

Last book, podcast or show you enjoyed: Good Bad Billionaire

Beach or bush: Both, and mountain biking (and yes, he’s broken bones (three ribs))

Coffee order: Long black from Swimsuit

Favourite place to take visitors: Mount Victoria lookout

One Wellington business more people should know about: Vivid Origin, run by industrial designer Jesse Keith. Working behind the scenes, he’s designed a lot of really amazing products for New Zealand businesses.