Review: Townew T1 Smart Trash Can

*Edited December 4, 2020. I reached out to TownewUS and thanked them for creating an awesome product. I also sent them the link to this review. They read the review and said that “the fan is used to suck the bag into place after the sealing, then the new bag is ready to use”. This is because I mentioned here that I didn’t really know what the fan did. Thank you, TownewUS!

I will tell you off the bat that it does not take out trash for you or give you money when you use it (just like the NanoTouch Touchless Trash Can in the Sims). Come to think of it every-time you take out the trash, you are actually spending money. Speaking of spending, I bought this with my own money and am reviewing this as an actual end user. 

I honestly thought this trashcan was just a gimmick. But after using it for quite sometime, I found out that some of the features of this trashcan were pretty useful for me. Was it worthy to replace my main trash can at home?

Let's go straight to the review based on the Form, Function, Maintenance standard to find out.

Townew T1 Trash Can

Form

• The white color is very versatile. It can stand on its own and it can complement other things around it. 

• You will never see the plastic bag or trash liner from the outside.

• Dimensions are 9.45 x 12.2 x 15.83 inches (haha such precision)

Function

The main function of the trashcan is to consolidate and temporarily store waste. The Townew T1 does that well. The maximum 15.5 liter capacity is enough for a room or a studio unit. To give you an idea, a 2L soft drink plastic bottle can be thrown in it easily

Here are the notable features.

• The lid opens when you hover your hands or trash on top of it. Sometimes there is a delay or it accidentally triggers when I pass by the trash can. The company claims that there is no need to bend over because of the automatic lid. But honestly, you don't need to bend to throw trash in a no-cover type trash can or a foot pedal trash can. And you don’t need to worry about delays.

• The trash bag included in it is in cartridge form. Inside is a long uncut continuous roll of plastic bag. It contains up to 30 15.5L bags, which will last about a month.

The trash bag cartridge

• The trash bag is not pre-cut because it expands to the capacity of the trash inside of the trashcan until it reaches the maximum 15.5L capacity.

• When pressing and holding the button in front, the trash can uses heat to seal the trash bag inside airtight. It seals to the size of the amount of trash. And because of that you actually make use of every inch of the trash bag all the time. This has been the most useful feature for me. Because every time I try to tie my trash  bags to take out the trash, the dust and pet hair inside along with the offensive smell of soiled kitty litter (even if it's tied inside a separate bag) just flies out of the opening. It always happens no matter how careful I do this.

• When the heat seals the trash bag, it cuts away from the remaining roll and the start of the remaining roll becomes the bottom of the new plastic bag.

• There is a fan that works every time a bag is being replaced. I searched the manual and online for it but I still don't know what the exact purpose is. I am guessing it is to fan out the odor and to cool down the heat after sealing.

• It is rechargeable. One single charge lasts up to 35 days with regular use.

Maintenance

• The outer and inner is made of plastic so it can be cleaned with a damp cloth. Chemical cleaners would most likely discolor this.

• The cartridge of the trash bag may be hard to obtain in the future.

• As long as the trash bag cartridge is used, it will always have lining. So there is no hassle of changing and fitting the lining.

• I tried a normal black plastic bag, just in case, and the sealing feature worked. But then you have to replace the bag like a normal trash can.

• Most trash cans with lid have nesting bucket in it so it's easy to clean specially with water. The Townew T1 just has a shallow plastic receiver.

• Speaking of water cleaning, the Townew T1 can has electronic parts. If you decide to clean the whole thing with water like the other trash cans, goodbye trash can. Best is to keep away food waste from the Townew T1. Personally, I don't throw my food waste in my trash can. I always separate it. These days it goes straight to the food grinder. When I didn't have a grinder, the food waste went in a Bokashi box.

Here is a quick summary.

Form

Is it nice to look at? Yes.

Function

Does it do what it's supposed to do well without effort? Yes.

Do the features compliment what it does? Not all.

Do the materials used compliment what it does? Yes.

Maintenance

Is it easy to maintain? No.

Pros for me:

• Automatic sealing and changing of trash bags.

• No wastage on the capacity of plastic bags.

• Clean aesthetic.

• Ease of use.

Cons for me:

• Automatic lid is unnecessary and is prone to accidentally opening. Foot pedal is way better. 

• Might be hard to get cartridge refills in the future.

• Deep cleaning may be an issue.

• It is electronic so the lifespan of it is not as long as analog ones.

Here were the prices when I got it.

• Price for trash can: PHP 3200 ($61)

• Price for trash bags: PHP 1500 ($29) for 6 boxes of cartridges. Around 180 15.5L trash bags. It comes out as around PHP 8 ($0.15) per trash bag.

Conclusion:

The price is actually cheaper compared to good quality branded trash cans but since it is electronic, it won't last as long. If this does break, I would stick to a good quality Simplehuman or Brabantia trashcan that has a foot pedal and a 10-year warranty. But even with the flaws, I am using it as my main trash can. The auto sealing and changing of trash bags are game-changers for me. I live alone and it usually takes me around 10 minutes to tie the trash, vacuum and mop the dust and pet fur that escapes. And since the amount of trash doesn’t matter, I take out the trash every week and not be guilty about wasting trash bags. I am actually excited how technology would improve from here for home items like this. This works for me. Will it work for you? Can the functions actually help you? Are you willing to forgo the flaws?

After reading this, if you want one, ask yourself these three questions:

1. Is the price fit for you? (You may want to use the Object Usage Worth formula)

2. Does it complement the look of your other items?

3. Do you have space for it?

Smart living is all about understanding if something can work for you. It should help you lessen your burden so that you can work on the things that are important for you. Things should be chosen and designed around your lifestyle or the lifestyle that you aspire. You should never design your lifestyle around your things. Again, you can have best things in the world, but if it doesn’t work for you, then you should not use it or get it.

I hope this review will help you make better decisions in buying a trash cans and other items in the future.

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