The clothespin, like the mousetrap, isn't much in need of reinvention.
Effective, compact, cheap – why would anyone mess with this triumph of
engineering?
Allegedly, two inventors built this newfangled version because they wanted to make it more "sustainable." As they write at Designboom:
designers idan noyberg and gal bulka have designed the ‘lightly’
clothespin, a sustainable twist on an everyday item that lights up the
cityscape in a sea of vibrant colors. by simply securing the cloth pegs
to hanging garments on the street, an internal system autonomously
shines at night. each clasp has a small solar panel attached to the top
of its clip, which collects sunlight throughout the day. by dusk, a
sensor supplies a tiny battery pack with the cue to turn on,
automatically illuminating the LEDs in color. the intelligent twist on
an ordinary household chore adds a visual contribution to the
streetscape while maintaining an environmentally friendly design.
But I'm calling B.S. on this claim. How on earth is adding silicon and a
battery pack better for the planet than using a standard wood-and-metal
clothespin? (Unless today's pins are sourced from endangered Asian
teak, although I'm assuming they're not.) Commenter "Roberto" pretty
much nails it on the head, writing: "Not sure what makes them
'sustainable' though. Sounds like someone just threw in the word for the
heck of it – 'greenwashing' to sell a product."
But they are certainly fine-looking, mellowing out the neighborhood
like lights at a beachside fish shack. Get enough of them strung window
to window and you hardly need street lamps anymore; everything would be
all softly rainbow-basked like presents underneath a Christmas tree.
That's still possible in countries that haven't become totally reliant
on the washing machine, right?
Have a look:
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