Leading Cleaning Innovation: Street Vacuum Cleaner 'Gluton' Receives Local Government Love Calls

Gangnam-gu Food Alley Street Cleaning

Clean City Invites Over 60 Organizations and Local Governments in 2022 for On-Site Demonstrations of Glutton and Supplies Equipment to 13 Institutions... Requests for On-Site Demonstrations of Eco-Friendly Urban Vacuum Cleaners to Replace Brooms in 2022, Equipment Purchases and Deployment to Modernize Cleaning Culture and Local Government Cleaning Equipment for the Post-COVID Era Fully Launched

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “There are limits to sweeping provocative advertisements and fallen leaves scattered across the streets with brooms.”

A road cleaning worker in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, especially mentioned the difficulty of cleaning such trash scattered across the streets after rain.

Meanwhile, the eco-friendly street vacuum cleaner Glutton is gaining popularity and drawing attention as it brings innovation to urban street cleaning.

Clean City (CEO Lee Tae-hong) introduced the Belgian-made global eco-friendly cleaning equipment Glutton, a proven product used in over 6,000 cities across more than 70 countries worldwide, including Europe, aiming to innovate urban street cleaning in South Korea.

By the end of last year, Clean City received requests for on-site demonstrations of the eco-friendly vacuum cleaner Glutton from over 60 local governments nationwide, including Seoul, successfully completing demonstrations attended by many stakeholders such as city and district council members, public officials, and on-site cleaning managers.

As a result, recognizing the equipment’s excellence, 15 units were delivered to 13 institutions including Seoul Grand Park, Gangnam-gu, and Mapo-gu.

CEO Lee Tae-hong said, “The recent active interest and order consultations from local governments, parks, amusement parks, resorts, and apartment resident associations nationwide not only verify the equipment’s excellence but also reflect an awareness of environmental agendas such as fine dust reduction and achieving zero carbon emissions, as well as a commitment to creating a people (worker)-centered environment.” He added, “We plan to expand distribution to 500 units by 2025, 1,000 units by 2027, and 2,000 units by 2030, steadily transforming South Korea’s cleaning culture.”

Since the peak of COVID-19, many people have gone outdoors on weekends and weekdays, leaving behind enormous amounts of trash, causing headaches for local governments. Environmental public officials responsible for cleaning have repeatedly expressed physical exhaustion from the daily routine of traditional cleaning methods and now demand improvements to cleaning methods?from broom sweeping that disperses dust to vacuum cleaning that effectively sucks up fine dust and trash.

So far, Glutton equipment has been recognized by many stakeholders through numerous on-site demonstrations in Seoul, Busan, Incheon, and two equipment expos at KINTEX in Ilsan. Unlike traditional cleaning methods, Glutton is equipped with a high-performance battery allowing long hours of use and mobility outdoors, and its powerful suction can handle most trash. It can also clean unpleasant items such as pet waste, masks, cigarette butts, and glass shards without any burden.

Additionally, it uses 100% electric charging with zero carbon emissions, and the fine dust sucked in through the intake is filtered by a large filter, making it highly effective in removing fine dust?a major urban environmental issue. The movement speed can be freely adjusted between 3 to 6 km/h, and it can climb gentle curbs and slopes, with a reverse function allowing cleaning anywhere.

For waste removal, a powerful spray nozzle enables water cleaning and, if necessary, disinfection functions against viruses such as COVID-19. Importantly, it frees sanitation workers from occupational diseases such as safety accidents, knee and shoulder joint pain common in traditional cleaning methods, prevents hygiene and industrial accidents, and offers comfortable handling suitable for anyone regardless of age or gender.

A road cleaning worker in Gangnam-gu said, “When sweeping with a broom, my back and arms hurt a lot, and every time dust flew, I received harsh looks from citizens. Since using the Glutton equipment, my back pain has almost disappeared, and the respectful attention and interest from residents during cleaning boosted my self-esteem, allowing me to clean the streets with confidence.”

Another worker in Incheon, currently cleaning with the Glutton vacuum instead of a broom, said, “I really like that it cleans without dispersing dust, and the speed and performance are so good that I finish cleaning within the allotted time and even help clean adjacent areas. I am very satisfied with the work results.”

Incheon-si Bupyeong-gu Pungmul Market Street Cleaning Scene

Another cleaning manager said, “Currently, most cleaning is done manually with brooms and tongs. Although there is equipment for cleaning fallen leaves in autumn, the current vacuum cleaners use diesel engines, which are too noisy and blow leaves away, requiring multiple cleanings of the same area, making the work very hard. This cleaning equipment seems quiet and fast, so I hope to work with this equipment in the future.”

CEO Lee Tae-hong stated, “Under the vision that the eco-friendly urban street vacuum cleaner Glutton improves work safety in all living environments and provides a clean environment to all citizens, we will not only enhance the working environment and labor value for workers but also improve citizens’ quality of life and contribute to raising the dignity and status of cities.”