Plastic Waste Innovations
During the last few weeks I’ve been researching the plastic waste problem for our group project in RE Design. Our group has decided to go a slightly different direction with our research now, but I thought it would be interesting to chronicle some of what I’ve learned here.
Like many global problems, the plastic waste crisis feels overwhelming. There’s nothing like googling the great pacific garbage patch to really put a damper on your mood. Here are some depressing stats from Nat Geo:
- More than 40% of plastic is used only once.
- Half the plastic ever manufactured has been made in the last 15 years.
- Estimates say that of the 9.2 billion tons of plastic that we’ve produced, more than 6.9 billion tons have become waste. Of that waste, 6.3 billion tons was not recycled.
However! There is a ton of exciting innovation going on in this realm. It’s going to take a whole lot of action on a lot of different fronts for us humans to try to solve the plastic waste crisis, from consuming less plastic, to new ways to use recycled plastic, to cleaning up the plastic already set loose on the world’s waterways. Below are a few ideas and organizations that made me hopeful for a more sustainable future. There are so many more out there, but here are some favorites.
Using less plastic
To eventually curb the plastic waste problem we have to work to change our own habits. Here are some brands that are encouraging that switch.
- Brands like Ethique and Lush are popularizing bath and body bars that don’t need a plastic container.
- Bee’s Wrap and bio plastic innovations like this one made from fish scales are limiting our need to wrap things in plastic.
- Menstrual cups from brands like DivaCup are becoming more popular as women seek to cut down on the waste of traditional menstrual products.
Recycled plastic products
For recycling plastic to be economically feasible, there has to be a market for it. Business Insider wrote up a list of companies that are newly incorporating recycled plastics into their products.
- Rothy’s makes shoes from recycled plastic bottles.
- Adidas has a partnership with Parley Ocean Plastic to make a line of shoes and clothing using Parley’s yarn made from recycled plastic.
- Popular clothing company Everlane launched a collection of down coats made from recycled plastic bottles.
Cleaning up plastic
These neat organizations are pioneering different ways to clean our oceans and other waterways.
- The Ocean Cleanup is developing and testing a system that will passively clean plastic from the oceans using the power of the tides. They also just unveiled a new autonomous floating system built to clean rivers of plastic before it reaches the sea.
- 4ocean is working in coastal communities to clean beaches (providing jobs) and change plastic consumption norms.
- Bubble Barrier is a Dutch start up that is developing a technology to clean rivers using bubbles that push plastic to the surface, where it can then be collected.
Our group may have gone in a different direction, but I am inspired to work on changing my own habits around plastic consumption!