Sandbox Centre is Simcoe County’s Regional Innovation Centre, supporting entrepreneurs, businesses, and innovators through programs, education, mentorship, and opportunities to connect and grow.
Located in Barrie, Sandbox Centre brings people together in a collaborative, multi-use environment. With members, visitors, and event attendees moving through the space throughout the day, Sandbox Centre needed a waste diversion system that could work seamlessly within the busy environment.
To support that experience, Sandbox Centre partnered with Busch Systems to incorporate custom-branded waste, recycling, and organics bins and signage throughout its spaces.
Designing Waste Diversion Around the Space
For a coworking and event environment like Sandbox Centre, waste stations need to be easy to understand without disrupting the space around them.
Sandbox Centre chose custom-designed Busch Systems bins that fit naturally into its environment while clearly separating waste, recycling, and organics. The cohesive design helps make waste diversion feel like an integrated part of the space rather than something added as an afterthought.
“We really like the design and overall aesthetic. The bins fit naturally throughout our space without feeling bulky or intrusive,” says Megan Hall, Member Engagement & Events Specialist at Sandbox Centre. “The clear separation between waste, recycling and compost also makes the system easy to understand, even for someone visiting Sandbox for the first time.”
Custom signage further supports the system by helping visitors identify the available streams and make disposal decisions with minimal direction.
Supporting Members, Visitors, and Events
Because Sandbox Centre welcomes a variety of people into the space every day, the waste diversion system needs to be intuitive for both regular users and first-time visitors.
According to Megan, the system has helped make waste diversion part of the everyday flow of Sandbox Centre.
“The bins have made waste diversion much easier to build into the everyday flow of Sandbox,” she says. “With members, visitors, meetings and events all happening in the same space, having clearly divided streams for waste, recycling and compost helps people sort their items confidently.”
That simplicity is particularly valuable during events, when larger numbers of people may be using the space at the same time.
“The system is intuitive, so people generally know what to do without needing much direction from our team,” Megan says. “This is especially helpful during events, when we may have a large number of guests using the space at once.”
When Design Meets Function
Sandbox Centre’s experience highlights the role that thoughtful waste station design can play in shared spaces. Bins need to be accessible and easy to use, but they also need to work within the look, layout, and day-to-day flow of the environment around them.
For Sandbox Centre, custom branding helped create a consistent experience while clear separation between streams supports intuitive sorting.
At the same time, the centre has found that the needs of a busy event space can differ from those of everyday operations. During larger events, higher volumes can mean that bins need to be emptied more frequently.
This is an important consideration for any shared space that hosts events. Waste infrastructure should account not only for typical daily use, but also for periods when occupancy and material generation increase significantly.
A Waste System Designed for the People Using It
For other shared spaces looking to improve waste diversion, Sandbox Centre emphasizes the importance of considering how people actually use the building.
“Put bins where waste is created and make the options easy to understand, especially for visitors who aren’t familiar with the space,” says Megan.
It is a simple principle, but one that can have a meaningful impact. When waste stations are positioned where materials are generated and the available streams are clearly communicated, users can make the right disposal decision without needing extensive instruction.
For Sandbox Centre, the combination of custom design, clear stream separation, and thoughtful placement has helped integrate waste diversion into the everyday experience of the space.
Together, these elements demonstrate how waste infrastructure can be thoughtfully incorporated into shared environments while supporting the people who use them every day.
