A new initiative is lighting the way for sustainable power in Mexico – and it’s all thanks to trash!

Or at least, stuff you can find in a landfill… or growing out of the ground. That’s right – students at Mexico’s Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey are working with artist Moises Hernández to create sustainable lamps from recyclable components that are often found in landfills – such as coconut shells, agave bark, wicker, collagen and more.

Photo source: Luis Fernando Sánchez Barrios

The lamps are designed to be built quickly – and since they’re using recycled materials that are sourced locally, it’s easy to replace them.

Okay, awesome idea. But why, exactly?!

Of course, these designs are more than just extra-beautiful sources of luminescence. The goal is to empower communities to create sustainable sources of power using local materials. When you consider the fact that 1.8 million Mexicans live without main electricity, the project makes even more sense – using their designs, anyone can create a source of power without having to source complex or rare materials. It’s a win-win!

Photo source: Luis Fernando Sánchez Barrios

Moises worked with local students to design the lamps, who were primarily responsible for advising him on which materials to use. He said they chose materials that are native to Mexico, creating “new scenarios where these technological objects can be assembled and distributed to local people.”

Although these agave- and wicker-based solar lamps are new, the concept is not. The project actually started back in 2012, with Danish-Icelandic designer Olafur Eliasson’s “Little Sun Project”. For that initiative, Eliasson designed and built a small solar-powered lantern, which he then shared. He hoped it would inspire similarly creative solutions to world problems. Clearly, he was right… now, let’s hope this lights the way for more bright ideas like this one!

What do you think? Would you use a solar-powered lamp made out of “trash”? We sure would!

Learn more at http://www.moises-hernandez.com/