www.cnet.com Open in urlscan Pro
2a04:4e42:4d::666  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

/email/subscribe-validate/send/?ecode=e219

<form class="newsletter-form" action="/email/subscribe-validate/send/?ecode=e219" data-newsletter="1124007" data-newsletter-name="CNET Home" data-newsletter-iterable-id="71565" data-component="newsletterAjax"
  data-newsletter-ajax-options="{&quot;messageThankYou&quot;:&quot;<div class=\u0022thanksMessage\u0022><span>Thanks for signing up!<\/span><a href=\u0022\/newsletters\/\u0022 class=\u0022button button_type_primary button_size_medium\u0022><span data-item=\u0022buttonText\u0022>Personalize my inbox<\/span><\/a><\/div>&quot;,&quot;tracking&quot;:&quot;reengage-nl-sub-1124007&quot;,&quot;subscribePath&quot;:&quot;\/email\/newsletter\/cohesion_tracking\/&quot;,&quot;isCapture&quot;:&quot;false&quot;}"
  novalidate="novalidate">
  <input type="hidden" name="appId" value="431">
  <div class="fields ">
    <div class="row email-field ">
      <div>
        <div class="form-input">
          <label for="newsletterSubscribe_email">
            <input type="email" id="newsletter_subscribe_email" name="newsletter_subscribe[email]" required="required" data-validate="[&quot;email&quot;,&quot;mailcheck&quot;]" placeholder="Add your email">
          </label>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="cnetInsiderCheckbox">
      <span class="checkboxContainer"><input type="checkbox" id="newsletter_subscribe_checkboxOptionalSignup" name="newsletter_subscribe[checkboxOptionalSignup]" checked="checked" value="1"></span>
      <span class="checkboxTerms">Yes, I also want to receive the CNET Insider newsletter, keeping me up to date with all things CNET.</span>
    </div>
    <div class="row">
      <button class="col-2 button button_type_primary button_size_medium" type="submit" data-follow-topic="null">
        <span data-item="buttonText">Subscribe</span>
      </button>
      <div class="col-5 signUpTerms">
        <p>By signing up, you agree to our <a href="https://redventures.com/CMG-terms-of-use.html" target="_blank">Terms of Use</a> and acknowledge the data practices in our
          <a href="https://www.cnet.com/privacy-policy/" target="_blank">Privacy Policy</a>. You may unsubscribe at any time.</p>
      </div>
    </div>
    <input type="hidden" id="newsletter_subscribe_grp" name="newsletter_subscribe[grp]" value="1124007">
    <input type="hidden" id="newsletter_subscribe__token" name="newsletter_subscribe[_token]" value="ffr8bVrBBnBvH1U93uP8YPy2P4UmXYmpipr_a9kMhcg">
  </div>
</form>

Text Content

Live: Best Cyber Monday Deals Live: Cyber Monday TV Deals Tech Fails of 2022
Deals Under $25 Deals Under $50 8 Products at All-Time Lows Cyber Monday Doodads
Cyber Monday Cheat Sheet

Your guide to a better future


Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories?
No, thank you
Accept

Home Kitchen & Household
Follow


LASSO IS A HOME RECYCLING MACHINE TO FIX OUR RECYCLING PROBLEM

This appliance from Lasso Loop is like a mini recycling plant in your house.

Lexy Savvides

March 23, 2022 10:27 a.m. PT

Lexy Savvides

Principal Video Producer

Lexy is an on-air presenter and award-winning producer who covers consumer tech,
including the latest smartphones, wearables and emerging trends like assistive
robotics. She's won two Gold Telly Awards for her video series Beta Test. Prior
to her career at CNET, she was a magazine editor, radio announcer and DJ. Lexy
is based in San Francisco.

See full bio
3 min read
 * * 
   * 
   * 
   * 



Recycling is something many of us take for granted, assuming what we throw in
the bin ends up getting recycled properly. But current curbside systems aren't
particularly effective, especially if the material isn't clean or a plastic
isn't actually recyclable, so much of what goes into your blue bin can end up in
landfill. Enter the Lasso, a home recycling appliance that lets you bypass the
curbside system almost completely.

Lasso Loop announced a prototype of its recycling appliance, also called Lasso,
at CES 2022. CNET had the first chance to see a working proof of concept at a
maker space in San Mateo, California.

In its current form, the Lasso is a big, gray box. At over 5 feet tall, it's
currently too big to fit in your kitchen without some major renovations, but
Lasso Loop's chief technology officer Phil Sanders tells me the final version
will be smaller. Think countertop height, with a dishwasher on top. 

The first working proof of concept of the Lasso.

Lexy Savvides/CNET

The Lasso accepts and sorts seven different types of materials: PET and HDPE
plastic; brown, green and clear glass; aluminum and steel cans. Once you put an
item into the machine, sensors and cameras check if it can actually be recycled.
As well as scanning the size and shape of the item, cameras also look for any
barcodes that can help detect material type. "It takes all those inputs and runs
down a flowchart to determine what material it is," Sanders says. If it's not an
accepted material, or if there's an issue like you left the bottle cap on, the
machine will reject it.

If it passes the test, the Lasso washes the item to remove contaminants and
removes any labels. The labels are stored and you'll need to empty them
periodically just like you would a lint filter on a dryer. Once clean, materials
move to a processor, which grinds up each item and spits the pieces out into
separate containers at the bottom of the machine. This helps address one of the
biggest problems with the current curbside recycling system: contamination.

The shredded materials that come out of the Lasso.

Kevin Heinz/CNET

"When you think about different materials for recycling you have green glass,
clear glass, brown glass, but we think about it all as glass," Dominique
Leonard, head of marketing at Lasso tells me. "But these are actually different
materials, and they must be kept separate so they can be recycled properly and
recycled in a closed-loop, circular economy fashion."

With the materials sorted and broken down into shredded pieces, you wait until
the containers are full, then call for a pickup from the Lasso app. The company
then collects and resells the material to remanufacturers. You won't be able to
get rid of your blue bin altogether, because the Lasso machine we saw doesn't
currently take paper, cardboard or other materials just yet. There are plans to
have a mixed plastic bin that accepts and stores other types of recyclable
plastic beyond PET and HDPE, such as LDPE plastic film.

A design mockup of the Lasso installed in a laundry space.

Lasso Loop

Like any new appliance, this technology doesn't come cheap. Preorders start at
$3,500, and the Lasso will first be available as part of a pilot program in the
San Francisco Bay Area in 2023, with broader availability in 2024. The company
anticipates early adopters will want to pay for the promise of a closed-loop
recycling system, which will eventually bring down the cost for everyone else in
the coming years. Offsetting the initial cost with bottle rebates and even a
revenue share from the waste collection is something Lasso Loop is considering
down the track.

"We want to be everywhere there is a garbage can or recycling bin," says
Leonard, when I ask why Lasso Loop is starting with the home market rather than
targeting offices, shopping centers or apartment complexes. "We started in the
home because that's where the demand is, that's where people are excited and
want to use it most on a day-to-day basis."

Lasso Loop says the Lasso will use about the same amount of power as a midrange
washing machine, and because it consolidates a lot of the recycling process in
one location, it can end up having a much lower carbon footprint. Curbside
systems often need to sort items, then ship them to different locations for
further processing and recycling.

First published on March 23, 2022 at 5:00 a.m. PT.






GET THE CNET HOME NEWSLETTER

Modernize your home with the latest news on smart home products and trends.
Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Yes, I also want to receive the CNET Insider newsletter, keeping me up to date
with all things CNET.
Subscribe

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices
in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Get the best price on everything
Shop your favorite products and we’ll find the best deal with a single click.
Designed to make shopping easier.
Add CNET Shopping


 * More From CNET
 * Deals
 * Reviews
 * Best Products
 * Gift Guide
 * Shopping Extension
 * Videos

 * About
 * About CNET
 * Newsletter
 * Sitemap
 * Careers

 * Policies
 * Help Center
 * Terms of Use
 * Privacy Policy
 * Licensing
 * Cookie Settings
 * Do Not Sell My Personal Information

© 2022 CNET, a Red Ventures company. All rights reserved.
US France Germany Japan Korea
Cookie Settings

We use cookies and similar technologies to understand how you use our services,
improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. By
clicking "Accept All", you accept all cookies. By clicking "Reject All", you
reject all cookies except Strictly Necessary cookies. To manage your cookies and
learn more about our use of cookies click “Cookie Settings”.Learn more.

Cookie Settings Reject All Accept All