“We used to make toys out of our own garbage,” says Danish Industrial designer Hân Pham, who spent her childhood in poverty-stricken Vietnam. “People say they feel sorry for me as a refugee, but I don’t see it like that at all - I see it as a strength.”

In the '80s, Pham's family fled Vietnam. They boarded a raft and, just like many today, risked their lives for a better future. Eventually, they were taken to a refugee camp in Singapore. But the hardship didn’t end there, especially when Pham contracted a serious infection from a dirty needle.

Contaminated needles result in 260,000 HIV infections, 21 million Hepatitis B infections, and 2 million Hepatitis C infections worldwide every year. It took Pham weeks to recover. An experience that she’ll never forget, and one that inspired her first life-saving design.

“If I can see potential in a using waste product, then I would like to use it,” explained Pham. Using an existing piece of 'trash', available everywhere, Pham then came up with the Yellowone Needle Cap.

The Cap is a simple yet clever design for the safe collection and storage of used needles. It can be mounted onto a beverage can, and store up to 150 used needles.

Designed by
Hân Pham - Denmark