VANESSA LAURIE/Things
Brock Drinkwater, left, and James Goldsack with their Glass Glider.
Two teenage boys hope to tidy up with an invention to help people recycle glass.
After noticing how cumbersome getting out the glass trash can could be, James Goldsack and Brock came up with Drinkwater the glass glider – a metal trolley on wheels with a handle.
The trash can fits neatly into the glider, which can then be easily pulled along the side of the road.
“We’ve been designing and making the product for four or five months now,” Drinkwater says.
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The trash can fits neatly into the glider, which is built into a garage.
“Originally we were going for more of a wheelbarrow design, but when it was full glass it was still quite heavy to lift.”
The two New Plymouth Boys’ High School Year 12 students made the Glass Glider as part of their Young Enterprise Scheme class.
They see it and saw it as a way to help the elderly or people with mobility problems.
They make the product themselves out of Goldsack’s garage, since his father owns an engineering firm.
It takes five to six hours of work to make a batch of 10.
Glass Gliders retail for $120 and can be ordered through their website – glass-glider.mystorbie.com.
The boys have yet to contact the New Plymouth District Council, who are supplying the bins, but plan to do so.
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The couple hope the invention will help the elderly or those with mobility issues.
“A lot of regions are the same size, so it’s not necessarily limited to Taranaki,” Goldsack said.
“Rotorua and Taupo are the same size and Hamilton’s size is slightly smaller, so it still fits.”
They have already made their first pitch for the competition and have come second in Taranaki, with the final coming later in the year.
“That’s judged by how well your product has improved from where the field was,” Goldsack said.
“On the field we only had one car ready to show, and we aim to have 50 in the final.”
Goldsack and Drinkwater have also started a program called Gift A Glider, where people can donate to a glider or an entire one to someone in need.
“It’s not like it’s going to a charity, but it’s going to help, and we’re going to think it’s a good place to talk to home aid companies,” Drinkwater said.
“It saves someone having to try to lug it in the car and then drive it down or put it in the wheelbarrow, or call a friend to come over and do it.”