How to get rid of plastic?
The material named plastic is all around us. It is very cheap and easy to make. Plastic, the most cheap and readily available material being a cause for environmental problems. Every single piece of plastic made still exists.
The word plastic has a Greek origin meaning “capable to be molded”. So plastic is something having the characteristic or quality to be mold-able or form-able.
Once formed, the material we call plastic loses its characteristics, being shape-able into other forms. Once molded, plastic can’t return to its state of unformed potential. So far goes the mold-ability of plastic, which is by definition its characteristic and potential.
Plastic is not so plastic
The irony is that plastic in our current stage of development is not actual plastic, because it’s not mold-able anymore, it is (ever)lasting and is not considered decomposable. But actual plasticity is exactly that: degradable and remold-able. The plastic problem is opposed to the qualities coming with plasticity. Plastic is not actual plastic when referring to the definition of the word.
How to let plastic become plastic again?
Plastic can be broken down by a process called photo degredation, which will take quite some time and results in all sorts of unwanted side effects (release of toxins and microplastics).
According to the Oxford Dictionary of Chemistry, decomposition is “the chemical breakdown of organic matter into its constituents by the action of bacteria,” while photo degradation is, “the process by which chemical bonds are broken down by photons in the sun’s light spectrum.”
Photo degradation is the process by which plastics are broken down because bacteria do not recognize the chemical compounds in plastics as food and therefore, don’t break them down like they do with organic materials. (source)
The current default mode of breaking down plastic degradation is photo degradation, the disintegration of plastic in ever smaller pieces. In that way, photo degradation can be viewed as the equivalent of the mental rationalization process: breaking down reality in ever smaller pieces / words. Zooming in by an external movement, opposed to zooming out by an internal movement (divisional opposed to holistic).
Symptom of our prevalent materialistic paradigm
The challenge we are facing with the material known as plastic is symbolic for our general understanding of our nature and our relation to the objective world. The relation between the world out there and the being in here.
What if the plastic problem is an outward manifestation of an internal existential affair? An outward manifestation with regard to how we view ourselves in relation to our external world?
Could it be that the plastic problem is a symbolic representation of our widespread (and firm) belief that our reality is material in nature? That the actual essence of our material reality is substance instead of not-substance (originating from our being)? When considering the possibility that there is no actual material foundation underlying our seemingly material and substance-based reality/world, possibilities and potentials open. New potentials arise and more and more flexibility (in mind and matter) will be experienced.
Contemplation and self-realization to the rescue
What if our contemplation and recognition of the substance-less foundation of reality will leverage a solution to arise to the plastic problem? And probably a very easy one for that matter (pun intended). A return of the material named plastic to its inherent qualities by definition, by our understanding of ourselves and the nature of fabric of reality.
Could it be that there is a direct relation in the extend we perceive our reality as form-able/malleable to the plasticity of plastic (e.g. hard or impossible to get rid of — not so “plastic” after all, and “the world out there is objectively existent regardless of being”)?
The more I identify with manifested forms, be it material belongings, status and also words, the less plastic I will perceive and experience the world. The harder and persistent the plastic material will be. The more I identify myself with the substance-less being, the higher potential for experiencing the world as plastic, as mold-able, form-able. More free and fluid.
I’m not saying we should disregard the environmental impact of plastic. No, let’s be conscious about the current impact on the environment and be as kind as possible to leave as less a footprint as possible. Inward and outward actions go hand in hand.
A wonderful initiative is The Ocean Cleanup project. A short video, the one below, illustrates the technology for this endeavor. A longer video of a talk given by the inventor behind the technology is worth a view as well.
Even though I regard this endeavor as a wonderful thing, after viewing the longer video as mentioned above, I noticed a sentiment of “ah great, now we are saved. No need to worry about this anymore. They will take care of it.”
It could just be me though.
Wake-up call
The plastic problem could potentially be a major wake-up call and opportunity for reaching higher levels of evolution and conscious awareness in our creative role and deeper understanding of our being. When the sense of urgency is taken away (like initiatives as the Ocean Cleanup could do when I am not alert enough), I could lose this opportunity.
Initiatives like the aforementioned are great. But they don’t address the root issue of how to return to the plasticity of plastic. It’s a bit like mopping the floor to get rid of the water on the floor, with the tap still running and gushing water on the floor. It would be wise to close the tap (and still mop the floor).
Evolution
To really solve the plastic problem, I propose to contemplate the nature of (the fabric of) reality and the nature of our being. Meditation and contemplation of the plastic nature of our reality as prime motivator for the allowance of the solution of the plastic problem to arise. All fabric is plastic in essence.
As with all evolution, there are pioneers walking at the evolutionary front-lines. In the domain of bacteria, these are for example the bacterial genus Pseudomonas, an identified bacteria that consumes plastic.
Maybe, when we change our understanding of the objective world by contemplation and meditation to sufficient levels, bacteria might start recognizing the chemical compounds in plastics as food. As they at that point also (like we) start to regard the plastic nature/quality of the material called plastic.
Solutions will arise from another level of consciousness without any conscious effort. Solutions can’t arise which are outside our level of consciousness. Evolving our consciousness will allow solutions to arise.
Let plastic become plastic again. Plasticity does matter, matter itself does not matter that much.
Are you willing to find out how deep the rabbit hole goes? Are you willing to shatter conventional paradigms and to become more conscious of your essence and innate natural abilities? Join the adventure and exploration of reality! We might discover something precious!
Stay tuned to new articles by visiting www.freewil.nl and signing up to the newsletter! Let’s unleash ourselves!
Originally published at www.freewil.nl on April 29, 2018.
