The post was originally published in Russian on Startup of the Day. Alexander kindly agreed to republish what we think is of great value to our readers.
An amazing example of war against common sense – Lasso Loop Recycling, an English startup of the day
Its product is a garbage recycling plant brought down to the size of a washing machine. Supposedly, a regular consumer installs the device in their kitchen and then uses it instead of baskets for sorting garbage. Bottles, plastic and metal cans go directly to Lasso. Each type of garbage is to be placed on a separate shelf inside, and notable, you are to sort it not only by material but also by color, it’s strictly forbidden to mix up blue with green. Anyway, there’s a computer vision that watches the person and a warning beep will make you fix any mistake.
From time to time, the machine starts itself, washes and grinds the garbage. Once a month you have to pass the filled ‘cans’ to further recycling, but that’s quite easy – Lasso workers come to pick them up. Such an approach provides for a much higher percentage of materials getting re-used, decreases CO2 emission, and protects the planet as a result.
One small detail that spoils the whole plan is the device itself. The actual sales have not begun yet, but the suggested perspective price of the gadget is about three thousand dollars. Suppose the prime cost is one thousand. And this is one thousand’s worth of emitted CO2 at a facility with a more or less regular rate. But how much does the garbage that a family produces in about five years cost? And which is more dangerous to the planet then?
Lasso has not attracted any investments from regular funds, but it enjoys support from the press, and the startup has collected over half a million pounds in crowdfunding. It may probably launch after all.
#uk #hardware #ecotech #preseed #co2
Translation: Kostiantyn Tupikov
