Safety Vest for “Canners”

A person wearing a teal puffer jacket and a reflective vest with a recycling symbol and the words 'Canners New York City' printed on it, standing next to a yellow and black graffiti wall.

Who they are

A safety jacket that mirrors sanitation workers to improve the negative social stigma towards the canners

A person with a blue and gray jacket and gray pants selling plastic bottles on a city corner, with a cart filled with more bottles. A woman is nearby, and a traffic light shows a red hand for 'stop.' A restaurant window with signs and a sidewalk with construction scaffolding are in the background.

Different Types of Canners

A person carrying two large bags filled with empty plastic bottles on a stick across their shoulders, wearing a wide-brimmed hat.

Carrying loads of bags by using rods on their shoulders

Black and white photo of a man leaning over a donation or help box on a city street, surrounded by pedestrians.

Inspiration

A person wearing a high-visibility shirt, a cap, and a mask is emptying a trash can. There are garbage bags and trash on the ground nearby.

Sanitation Workers

They make a living redeeming empty cans and bottles for five cents a piece.There is no accurate data on the activity of canning, but people involved in the sector claim that more than 10,000 people pick up empty cans on the streets of New York to make some money.

Transporting multiple bags of cans using a cart

Canners say they face discrimination.

Negative perceptions and stigmas are attached to canners due to stereotyping and income inequality. People often disrespect and neglect us only because of the fact they collect trash, plus consider them as homeless even though they are not.

A person who cleans, maintains, and operates all of the equipment or technology at each step in a city's sanitation system.

A dress form with paper pattern pieces attached, labeled with 'Reflective Strips' and 'Part Logo,' used for designing a construction vest.
A pair of black tactical gloves with padded fingers and adjustable straps, lying on a white background.

The adjustable Velcro design can be freely adjusted according to your needs, effectively cushioning the pressure of the loads of bags

"Canners, or Lateros, or Hui shou ren"

A woman shopping for produce with a cart filled with large bags and vegetables.

Negative Social Stigma

"Why is it hard? Because there are places where they don't like us to pick up their recycling. They treat us like little animals, telling us to "go away". They don't understand that we live off this and it is our job. I don't fully understand why people don't like us recyclers."

-Madeline

Ideation

Diagram of safety vests and harnesses with labeled parts, including reflective straps, canbingers, shoulder pads, patches, buckles, pockets, and logo areas.

Prototyping

Mannequin dressed in a makeshift outfit resembling a construction worker's safety vest, with labels and stickers simulating reflective strips, zipper, pocket, and patch, made from paper and fabric materials.

By keeping a concept of the safety vest, trying to utilize its functions (Shoulder pads, pockets, patch, and reflective straps, etc) I can adapt to the vest and shape out into different forms

Final Model

A sewing mannequin dressed in a pattern prototype for a brown apron with multiple pockets, white straps, black shoulder pads, and an attached white circular patch labeled 'PATCH'.
Close-up of a black emergency or medical backpack with padded gloves on a white background.

Functions

Close-up of a black bag with white straps, a metal D-ring, and a coiled white rope on top of it, against a white background.

Utility Straps

Utility Straps bound on to the jacket where canners can store their personal belongings

Shoulder Pads

A man standing next to a shopping cart filled with various items including bags and a gardening tool, in front of a colorful graffiti mural on a metal wall.
Person packing cans into a large bag

Canners

From sidewalks to residential buildings to roadsides and parks, canners are collecting glass and plastic recyclables at all hours of the day.

A dress form mannequin wearing an unfinished beige fabric vest with black shoulder pads, a central black zipper, two white straps, a round white patch labeled 'PATCH,' black mesh pocket, and horizontal silver reflective tape.
A dress form mannequin wearing a beige vest with reflective silver strips and black shoulder patches in a workshop setting.
A black safety vest with reflective stripes and a New York City emergency services logo, laid flat on a white background.
Close-up of a black and gray reusable bag with a circular logo of Cameners New York City, featuring orange recycling symbols.

Patch

A patch has been specifically created for Canners, featuring the Recycling logo as its symbol

Model Testing

Close-up of a black backpack with orange reflective accents and an orange mesh pocket.

Mesh

The back of the vest is crafted from High-visibility orange mesh, offering breathability and a lightweight feel

Andy, a canner with three years of experience in New York City, expressed genuine appreciation for the safety vest designed for Canners. He noted, however, that certain individuals within this community may prefer alternative terms to "canners." Consequently, he suggested incorporating different names on the patches to accommodate diverse preferences.