The first trashcan was a bucket

A dirty bucket, but most people didn’t use them. Trash in the early 19th century was thrown to the curb on the ground. Growing cities were struggling with systematically keeping streets clean. Paris was littered. People died from disease spread by trash.

The modern trashcan was designed by Eugene Poubelle in the late 19th Century. It’s the shiny one made from galvanized steel with grooves to allow for an easier grip and added strength. It was made of metal so people could burn their trash before weekly collections. Ashes of trash are lighter weight than trash, so horses could pull it on wagons.

Eventually, horses were replaced by vehicles. Heavy, unburned trash could be hauled somewhere else. People stopped burning their trash in the cities so vehicles could carry them to the country.

Plastic trashcans were invented by Charles Harrison in the 1950s. They’re made of high density polyethylene (HDPE). There was a need for trashcans that were quieter and wouldn’t rust.

Today, plastic trashcans have lids with hinges, large handles, wheels, and sometimes animal-proof features.

The trashcan story is sequential. Each generation reflects a good, better, and best product. Design something good, then make it better until it’s the best it could be. Meet the immediate, prioritized need first and then look at refining it for other user experience factors.