A Green Way To Clean Up A Dirty Problem

CBS Evening News: College Students Offer Up Innovative Bicycle Washing Machine

(CBS)  Saturday is Laundry Day at La Sagrada Familia Orphanage in Peru. The 600-plus kids here work hard, study hard, and play hard - and generate nearly two tons of laundry every week, reports CBS News science and technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg.

It's hard on young hands - scrubbing and sudsing for hours on end. All that wringing out, can wipe you out.

Enter - the bici-lavadora. "Bici" comes from bicicleta, which is the Spanish word for bicycle. Lavadora is the Spanish word for washing machine.

A re-tooled steel drum holds the clothes, the water and soap, and pedal power does the rest.

Seiberg reports it is pretty easy to use - there's one gear for wash, one gear for the spin cycle, even one for rinse.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology student Lisa Tacoronte says it's important the locals learn more than just how to use it.

"We teach them how they can take it apart, how to maintain it and repair it," Tacoronte said.

The bici-lavadora was born in a obscure corner of MIT. The school's experimental D-Lab, for Development, specializes in simple solutions to third world problems.

The washer was a show-stopper at a recent World Development Expo. At $125, it's already used in Guatemala and Peru, with more countries to come, saving time, electricity and precious water.

"We're teaching these children the importance of recycling and saving valuable resources," said Lily Bevries, the orphanage director through a translator. "Like water, which in many places is in short supply."

"Is there some reward for you in doing this sort of socially-responsible work as opposed to going off and trying to make millions of dollars?" Seiberg asked Tacoronote.

"It's a little more self fulfilling and I think I value the connection I make with these people," Tacoronte said. "And it's just I feel like I'm really doing something productive."

The kids love the new machine, and the clean laundry it produces.

[campbellam]

I thought the today was Holocaust remembrance day??

www.myprofitsmadeeasy.com

[Slrman]

While the idea has merit, it ignored the real problem, which is the heat pollution generated by all energy use, even this pedal power. The real problem is too many people. Reduce the population of the world by 1/2, and most of the problems of pollution will go away.

[k9insky]

Any bets that if gets produced in the US it will cost twice as much as a regular washer?

[rf35]

This would be a great machine for America. Forget saving electricity, this would be good exercise for all the fat-azzes who think exercise is walking to the fridge for a fresh Coke and struggle to open the family-size bag of chips that they intend to consume in one sitting. Hook up a Playstation to it and make the pudgy little suburban kids run it while they play the latest incarnation of GTA or whatever. After the clothes are clean, switch a belt over and use it to power a generator for the dryer. Line drying may be fine in Peru, but in most cities, all you'd get is clother smelling like diesel exhaust.


Death to OPEC

[budmag06]

Where can I buy one? Who needs a electric washing machine and dryer? If I purchase this will I
too be socialist "green"?

[lclamb]

we would like further information on this petal-powered washing machine. Who would we contact to buy one of these machines for the Navajo Indians?