Huskee’s Smart Bin, Borrow, a return system for reusable cups and containers, has won a 2026 Australian Good Design Award in the Product Design: Commercial and Industrial category.
Designed in Australia by Huskee, a BioPak brand, in collaboration with Fossick Studio, Particle Design Studio, Tom Kulaga and Simon Kobler, the Smart Bin aims to make returning reusable packaging more convenient.
The Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled system uses QR-enabled access and a gravity-driven mechanical system, with a modular design and dual power capability to support use across different environments.
The Australian Good Design Awards jury recognised the project for addressing convenience as a barrier to reuse adoption.
“The Jury recognises the Borrow Bin as an exceptional example of design thinking applied at a systems level, transforming a passive waste receptacle into intelligent, IoT-enabled return infrastructure that addresses one of the most persistent barriers to reuse adoption: convenience,” the jury said.
Saxon Wright, Huskee co-founder and chief sustainability officer at BioPak Group, said the return process needed to be as convenient as collecting a reusable product.
“Making reuse work at scale is about much more than designing a great reusable product. We need to make the return journey just as easy, intuitive and convenient as picking up the product in the first place,” Wright said.
BioPak CEO Guy Brent said reuse was an important part of the company's packaging portfolio.
“What this award recognises is not only our leading edge in packaging design but also the importance of making sustainability practical, putting people at the heart of the packaging we use daily,” Brent said.
The 2026 Australian Good Design Awards cover 13 design disciplines and more than 30 categories. Projects are assessed by an independent jury of more than 100 Australian and international design experts against criteria covering good design, design innovation and design impact.
The awards ceremony will take place on Friday 9 October at the International Convention Centre Sydney.
