Gaon Street Light: the street lamp that feeds on waste

Wouldn't that be a smart way to cut costs, save energy and, at the same time, dispose of waste? Well, this is precisely the idea behind Gaon Street Light, the street lamp entirely powered by garbage.

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Imagine how much garbage is thrown daily into the bins and bins of any city: what if this mass of waste was used to produce energy, perhaps to illuminate the surrounding streets and squares? It wouldn't be a smart way to reduce costs, save energy and at the same time, dispose of i waste? Well, this is the very idea behind Gaon Street Light, lamppost entirely powered by garbage.

According to the Yanko Design magazine, which was the first to talk about it, this invention is the result of the designer's imagination and creativity. Haneum Lee. And, on paper at least, it's a great idea. At first sight, Gaon Street Light looks like a common street lamp for public lighting: its peculiarity lies in the basket for i organic waste located at its base, within which it is produced, through a process of composting, the methane needed to power the entire system. Passers-by simply throw in what's left of food and meals, and that's it! The only form of "external" intervention lies in the need for periodically clean the base of the street lamp, in order to collect the compost that has formed.
However, Yanko Design it does not explain whether a prototype of this “intelligent lamp post” already exists or whether, for the moment, it is just a concept to be explored and explored. Furthermore, with regard to the actual functioning of the Gaon Street Light, is not specified what quantity of waste is needed to start the system and to keep it running and it is not explained what could happen if passersby accidentally threw non-biodegradable waste in the bin, also taking into account the fact that most of the garbage we produce on a daily basis is made up of inorganic pollutants, such as plastic. This lack of detail suggests that the Gaon Street Light is still in one all theoretical phase, so we will have to be patient to know if any concrete development will follow the project.

Having said that, and beyond the necessary clarifications, the idea itself seems promising, and it would be interesting to test it, to determine what results could actually be obtained and to understand if indeed, in the not too distant future, we will be able to illuminate our cities in a perfectly eco-sustainable way, using the energy taken from waste. It would really be the realization of a green dream.

Lisa Vagnozzi