ATLAS ECOPOD: Slim, Smart, and Rewarding by Design

5. Design Kancils [5.9 Product/Service Design (Eligible for Innovation)]

Links:

Product/Service:

ATLAS Vending ECOPOD

Client:

Etika Group of Companies

Brief:

For decades, vending meant consumption, not contribution. ATLAS changed that with ECOPOD — a Made-in-Malaysia breakthrough that reimagines vending as a recycling service closing the loop between buying, returning, and rewarding. Designed for necessity, it addressed Malaysia’s plastic crisis, limited infrastructure, and need for commercially viable sustainability. Leveraging Malaysia’s love for fast, simple convenience, ECOPOD made recycling frictionless: drop → scan → redeem. With AI recognition, dual compartments, and can compaction, every design choice served two goals — make recycling effortless for users and attractive for landlords to adopt.

Solution:

ECOPOD isn’t just a machine — it’s a redesign of vending itself. Merging purchase and recycle into one rewarding loop, it solved behavioural, spatial, and operational barriers. The 32 cm world-record-slim design fits anywhere; AI scans Etika products for instant credit; dual compartments compact 214 cans / 70 PET bottles. Locally engineered and globally recognised, it aligns with national sustainability goals. Deployed across high-traffic campuses, retail, and transport hubs, it offered instant, data-driven interaction while lowering collection costs. Backed by YB Nik Nazmi, ECOPOD became a policy-backed service. Results: 100 units (50 PepsiCo + 50 SWCorp), RM 4.07 M PR value, 93% PET target in 2 weeks, 11,906 kg CO₂ saved monthly.

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