Solving the mighty Plastic Problem - cup of tea right?

Imagine that we had a limited yet sufficient amount of resources to resolve the global plastic problem. How could we spend these resources most effectively?

• By finding a way for the price of virgin plastic to increase so that recycled plastic suddenly becomes economically valuable and desirable?
• By spreading open source technology enabling small communities all around the world to transform waste into a valuable resource, creating income and employment in the process?
• By building gigantic recycling plants all around the globe?
• By developing solutions preventing river plastics to reach the oceans?
• By cleaning the hundreds of millions of tons of Plastic already at sea threatening the entire marine ecosystem?
• By making available to people objects that use no (or less) plastic?
• What else?

There are hundreds of incredible projects out there ranging from intrinsically-driven non-profit organisations to profit-driven ideas on a good mission - to pure greenwashing. There are projects who have thought things out pretty well and decided to position themselves where they believe the most change can be achieved. There are others who are well aware that they alone will not solve the entire problem but they have chosen to focus on one specific complex symptom and they are becoming much needed specialists. There is research that is essential to drive conversations and solutions. There are waste management and recycling industry giants. There is education. There is politics. I think that 99% of these people have the best intentions in mind and they all have a role to play. They could also probably benefit from working more closely together. But which route is the most effective?

These conversions can easily become overwhelming but they are too important not to be had. I invite you to breathe, take a minute to reflect, zoom out a bit ...

What do you think is the most efficient way to resolve this mammoth plastic problem?

Leave a comment below and for those interested, let’s organize a Zoom call to discuss further.