Recycling sounds simple. Separate reusable materials (such as plastic, glass, and aluminum) and wait for them to be collected. However, it is not. What can be recycled depends on where you live. If there is any contamination, everything you collect may end up in a landfill due to leftover food or mixed materials. solution? It may be a company like Lasso Loop Recycling. The UK-based start-up is developing a machine that collects, cleans and sorts waste for recycling. Even better, it looks like an everyday kitchen appliance. The type that won't stand out next to a refrigerator, dishwasher, or washing machine.

The lasso, which is still under development, will have a vertical slot or tray for storing items. Then, a series of cameras and sensors will analyze the packaging and determine if it is recyclable. not good? The object will then be returned to you, just like a vending machine spit out change. Otherwise, the material will be steam cleaned to remove remaining food, grease, dirt and labels. Finally, it will be ground and placed in a dedicated compartment at the bottom of the lasso. When one or all of these boxes are full, you will use the smartphone app to organize your curbside collection. The driver can then pick it up, confident that these materials can be used to create new products.

In theory, the system will eliminate recycling plants. The collection box can only be redistributed to the manufacturer and becomes a new product that does not require any additional materials. (This process is called closed-loop recycling.)

Lasso CEO Aldous Hicks believes that everyone should treat recycling like washing clothes and dishes. "Millions of families are already practicing the exact steps we need to take," he said in a TEDx speech last month. "For example, we use a washing machine to wash clothes so we can reuse them over and over again. Obviously, we have used technology to dispose of our household items. So why not household recycling equipment?" However, the lasso concept has drawbacks. . The company's current goals are seven materials-aluminum and steel, as well as two types of plastics and three types of glass. The paper and cardboard used for most online orders are not on the list.

Price may also be an issue. Hicks told Engadget that its prototype should be completed this quarter. The company has opened reservations on its website, but there is currently no deposit or final price. (It's essentially a registration form for email updates.) When the final version is ready—maybe 2023, according to Hicks, its cost may be around $3,500. This is very expensive, but it was also true when the refrigerator first came on the market. "In 1919, people paid the same price as an ordinary new car at the time," Hicks argued in his TEDx speech.

This price can be offset by recycling payments. Lasso claims on its website that customers can “receive a cash return within five years of ownership, depending on your consumption.” The idea is that you save others money by cleaning. However, for now, this is a theoretical business model. Lasso will need to complete its product, complete a pilot program, and is likely to raise more cash to realize its vision. Recycling is a huge challenge, but we are happy that someone-even if it is a small start-up company-is considering a home solution.  

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