A cool way to be friendly to the environment

The Ecopod is one cool idea. However, since it's debut in the U.S. is going to be in the Williams-Sonoma January catalog, I think it will likely be quite spendy. (Williams-Sonoma = housewares lust.) Here's the skinny from Springwise (bold-faced emphasis is mine):

Created in partnership with BMW DesignWorksUSA, Ecopod's E1 Series is a household recycling center that aims to change the way consumers take out their trash. The appliance houses a compactor, and provides an efficient way to crush, store and redeem recyclable beverage containers, specifically plastic bottles and aluminium cans.

Consumers throw their bottle or can in the appropriate slot, step on a foot pedal, and enjoy the satisfying sound of compaction. The compacted container falls into an internal bin, which can be removed for redemption or curbside disposal. Each pod has storage capacity for approximately 50 crushed containers, while an upper compartment has additional room for glass bottles, newspapers and other recyclable materials. Everything neatly stored away and ready to moved to the next step in the recycling chain.