Page 37 - Respond 2016 Magazine

rtcc respond

When considering Sustainability both economic and
environmental factors have to be taken into account. One
of the biggest factors responsible for adding to climate
change is the built-in obsolescence in so many products.
Street light poles are a functional and essential piece
of road infrastructure not a fashion item it is therefore
imperative that they be manufactured to last.

There is a heavy economic cost and environmental cost
to re-manufacturing, removing and replacing a steel
streetlight pole every 20 -25 years. A single purchase
of an extruded aluminium pole will last 100 years. The
maintenance cost of painting and repainting regularly
such poles would cover the cost of buying streets of
new and multifunctional aluminum poles requiring no
maintenance or replacement.
It is estimated that 20 million poles are replaced annually
in the USA alone. Governments must be proactive
and legislate for products that will outlive even future
generations. Aluminum will do this and even then is fully
recyclable into new products. Why stop there? Innovation
equals evolution. The inherent properties of extruded
aluminium allow for innovations not possible with steel
poles. MSI’s innovative aluminium street light pole acts
as vertical real estate that allows the housing of all street
infrastructure on the one pole.

In addition to street and sidewalk lights it is capable of
housing traffic lights, street signs, digital advertising,
parking metres, electric charging stations G4 Lan
microcell technology bicycle racks, trash bins and much
more. Thus reducing the number of poles and street signs
in the streetscape. This not only reduces street clutter,
visual pollution but also limits the number of crash
hazards for vehicles.
The Second of the two goals we at MSI were already
engaged in for a number of years before the Paris summit
is partnerships between corporations.
Co-operation versus Competition
Women’s rights activist Margaret Fuller wrote, “If you have
knowledge let others light their candles in it”.
So it is with Metrosmart International. We practiced
what we preached by collaborating with a like -minded
company such as SAPA Pole Products, the biggest
Aluminum manufacturing company in the world, to
manufacture our multifunctional aluminum anodized
street light poles in their plant in the Netherlands.
Simultaneously we promoted their specialist solar pole
the Flexsol Soluxio pole in the Middle East where we are
based in the UAE and Qatar.

In addition the four year co-operation between MSI and
the Qatar Foundation has resulted in innovative designs
and materials for street light poles which have a long life Aluminum pole with LED lights, Morocco.
cycle, are both functional and beautiful. Innovative design,

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