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5 Ways to Win the War on Plastic Pollution

Speaking at the Plasticity Forum, Hyman outlined an effort by his company to build houses in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu from recycled plastic materials, agricultural waste, and even electronic waste, which has been turned into construction panels.

Each building is strong enough to withstand a category five cyclone, earthquakes, and can be easily washed out because they are made from plastic. This makes them ideal for the climate-vulnerable Pacific Islands, shared Hyman.

5 Ways to Win the War on Plastic Pollution

The Shruder Help Reduce Plastic Pollution

Just as carbon offsets enable polluters to take responsibility for their greenhouse emissions, Australian and Thai companies have launched a plastic neutrality programme to tackle plastic pollution.

The Shruder Help Reduce Plastic Pollution

STARBOARD LAUNCHES WORLD’S FIRST PLASTIC OFFSET PROGRAM FOR ITS PLASTIC USE AT PLASTICITY SYDNEY

Starboard strives to be part of the solution, however, and not part of the problem. In their quest to lead with solutions, they have joined Ocean Recovery Alliance and their Plastic Disclosure Project (PDP), which helps Starboard to understand its complete plastic use and waste footprint within the communities it serves. Starboard exports its products to over 70 countries, and has now calculated its use of plastics of every variety in boards, accessories, apparel, packaging, and operations for both 2017 and 2018. The methodology of the PDP allows a company to understand and quantify areas where recycled content, increased material recovery, or use of eco-innovation changes can be made in product lines for so that its plastic footprint can be reduced within its operations. Over the past 12 months, Starboard has already replaced over 21.2 % of virgin plastic which would have been used, in favor of recycled plastic, and also reduced overall plastic consumption by 6.5% by using more bio materials.

STARBOARD LAUNCHES WORLD’S FIRST PLASTIC OFFSET PROGRAM FOR ITS PLASTIC USE AT PLASTICITY SYDNEY

Roughly 90% of Today's Plastic is not Being Recycled

Hear a clip from ABC News with Trish Hyde, Director of Plasticity Sydney, on the opportunities to bring recycling and value-added processing back to Australia (and other countries who used to ship a lot to China instead of handling it on their home turf).

Roughly 90% of Today's Plastic is not Being Recycled

Multi-billion dollar plastics recycling potential wasted – Global expert calls for action

In Australia’s case, only 15% of plastics thrown away are recovered, and only half of that is reused in Australia (with the remainder mainly being previously exported to China). Australia is not alone in the struggle to effectively recover plastics, as most countries face similar issues. Mr. Woodring, however, believes that Australia is uniquely positioned to play a leadership role in the region, and to exploit business opportunities locally and elsewhere globally. Australia already has successful innovators in this area and is seeing a growing interest in impact investment, governments actively supporting initiatives and Australian’s strongly committed to recycling. What remains is for Australia to capitalize on the new market opportunity before it is too late, and the same could be said for the U.S. and their potential engagement in this global challenge of resource recovery from plastic waste.

Multi-billion dollar plastics recycling potential wasted – Global expert calls for action

Vast Opportunities To “Circulate” Plastic as a Resource

Those who lead the market with bring-back programs, “enlightened procurement”, reverse supply-chains and home “collection” programs will be well suited to inspire, recruit and engage communities.

Vast Opportunities To “Circulate” Plastic as a Resource

Looping Plastic into the Circular Economy

The recovery and circulation of plastic waste, however, also poses some large opportunities for the engaged leaders in business, innovation and policy that see this blight in our environment and waters continuing to grow. Those who lead in the use of bring-back programs, “enlightened procurement” for recycled content, and optimization of reverse supply-chains and home “recovery/collection” programs to complement deliveries, will be well suited to inspire, recruit and engage communities who now recognize unsustainability, but who may not know how to act on it efficiently themselves.

Looping Plastic into the Circular Economy

Energy and Plastic Waste Crisis Could Be Reduced via Waste-to-Energy

Waste-to-energy is not a new concept, yet despite successful operations globally, it is often not on the radar of many governments as an option. This is unfortunate, as the opportunity exists to both effectively remove plastic pollution, while simultaneously supporting some of the local energy needs in the wake of the decommissioning of coal-fired generators. It can also simply help to fill the increased demand of a growing consumer population, and can even be made into road-ready fuel by smart technology like that of Australia’s Integrated Green Energy Solutions Ltd.

Energy and Plastic Waste Crisis Could Be Reduced via Waste-to-Energy

Plasticity Forum Attracts International Speakers for Discussion on Transforming Plastic Waste Into Valuable Resources

Companies and governments play key roles inspire reduced waste, create new end markets, spur jobs, and improve environments vis-a-vis plastic pollution.

Plasticity Forum Attracts International Speakers for Discussion on Transforming Plastic Waste Into Valuable Resources

China's "National Sword" Policy Strikes the Plastics Circular Economy

Global plastic waste resources which are being exported for recycling are now under threat from China’s new “National Sword” policy which is disrupting the region’s plastic scrap marketplace. Rather than creating doom, this change in circumstances offers new opportunities for both existing recyclers and new businesses which can mobilize domestic innovation, job creation and plastic resource recycling domestically in the countries where the waste is generated.

China's
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