Design in Society

The trashcan is something that probably is not generally thought of as a design that improves society, but I feel that it is, because the presence of a trashcan encourages people as a society to make the effort to throw their trash in the trashcan instead of littering on the ground.  As a design, the trashcan is very simple because it is merely a usually round container that is open on top so that items can be dropped inside.  The design is utopian because without the trashcan, people would be more tempted to leave their trash on the ground, or in places less conspicuous that would end up leading to further pollution of our planet.
I never realized how much I expected there to be a trashcan in public areas until I found myself in a situation where I had trash to throw away, but no where in sight that I could throw it.  I found myself fighting the temptation to dispose of my trash on the ground, arguing to myself that, "Other people do it, why can't I?"  In the end, I didn't litter, but I did end up realizing how important trashcans really are.  Without them, people are not as inclined to "do the right thing" and throw the trash away in its designated area, but are more tempted to just leave the trash behind since many other people do the same thing.  The trashcan is also a societal pressure, because if one were to be caught littering on the ground when a trashcan was clearly in sight, the people around them would greatly frown on the person "too lazy" to walk a few feet to the trashcan and throw the trash away properly.  As a result, the trashcan is a design that improves society because it pressures us to throw away our trash properly and "do the right thing".