In theory, this system would cut out recycling plants. The box collection can simply be redistributed to manufacturers and turned into new products that do not require any additional materials. (A process known as closed loop recycling.)
Aldous Hicks, CEO of Lasso, believes that everyone should treat recycling like washing clothes and dishes. “Millions of households are already taking the steps we need to take,” he said in a TEDx speech last month. ‘For example, we use our washing machines to clean our clothes so we can sue them again and again. Clearly, we are already using technology to process our household items. So why not a household recycling device? ‘However, there are disadvantages to the Lasso concept. The company is currently focused on seven materials – aluminum and steel, as well as two plastics and three types of glass. Paper and cardboard, which are used for most online orders, are not on the list.
Price can also be an issue. Hicks told Engadget that his prototype should be completed this term. The company has opened bookings on its website, but there is currently no deposit or final sticker price. (It’s essentially a sign-up page for email updates.) And when the final version is ready – which is likely to be in 2033, it could cost around $ 3,500, according to Hicks. It is terribly expensive, but also refrigerators when they first came on the market. “In 1919, people paid the then equivalent price of an average new car,” Hicks argued during his TEDx speech.
The price can be offset by recovering payments. On its website, Lasso claims that customers “can receive cash returns within five years of ownership, subject to your consumption.” The idea is that you save someone else money by cleaning. For now, however, it is a theoretical business model. Lasso will have to complete its product, complete a pilot program and probably raise more cash to realize its vision. Recycling is a big challenge, but we are glad that someone – even if it is a small start – is thinking of a home solution.