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17 Ideas To Tackle The 2 Billion Tons Of Trash We Make Every Year - S1 Marathon | World Wide Waste

Business Insider・77 minutes read

Innovative solutions worldwide manage two billion tons of trash annually; initiatives like Chop Value, Fool, Biofase, Algenesis Materials, Texfad, Mint Innovation, and Loop Coffins aim to combat waste and pollution through upcycling, recycling, and sustainable manufacturing. Companies and consumers need to prioritize environmentally friendly options to drive change and reduce the global impact of plastic pollution and waste.

Insights

Chop Value in Vancouver upcycles 100,000 chopsticks daily into shelves, cutting boards, and furniture, showcasing innovative solutions to manage trash sustainably.
Fool in India transforms temple flowers into incense sticks, addressing the issue of floral waste in the Ganges, emphasizing the importance of repurposing organic materials.
Algenesis Materials aims to create sustainable flip-flops from algae to combat plastic pollution, highlighting the potential for eco-friendly alternatives in the fashion industry.

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How does Chop Value in Vancouver repurpose chopsticks?
Chop Value upcycles chopsticks into shelves and furniture.

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Summary

00:00

Innovative Solutions for Global Waste Management

Worldwide Waste focuses on innovative solutions to manage the two billion tons of trash produced annually.
Chop Value in Vancouver upcycles 100,000 chopsticks daily into shelves, cutting boards, and furniture.
The process at Chop Value involves sorting, coating with resin, roasting, compressing, and assembling chopsticks into tiles.
Chop Value has upcycled 33 million chopsticks since 2016, offering custom orders and diverse products.
Cut Out Cutlery campaign led by Sheila Moravati aims to reduce plastic cutlery waste by pressuring delivery apps.
In China, activists sued food delivery apps to stop providing cutlery by default, but pandemic increased single-use items.
Fool in India transforms temple flowers into incense sticks, addressing the issue of 1,000 tons of flowers in the Ganges daily.
Fool separates flower petals, dries them, grinds into powder, mixes with essential oils, and rolls into incense sticks.
Fool's founder, Ankit, aims to expand waste collection, employ women, and develop new products from floral waste.
Biofase in Mexico converts avocado pits into bioplastics, offering a cleaner alternative to traditional plastics.

19:07

"Algae-based flip-flops combat plastic pollution"

Plastic pollution is a significant issue globally, with research showing its presence even in the deepest ocean depths.
The amount of plastic entering the environment annually is projected to nearly triple over the next two decades if current trends persist.
The Aldabra Atoll off the east coast of Africa collected 25 tons of trash, with a quarter being flip-flops, highlighting the prevalence of this type of footwear.
Algenesis Materials aims to create sustainable flip-flops, primarily from algae, to combat plastic pollution.
The company faces challenges in sourcing enough algae for production, currently using plant oils as a supplement.
Algae farming needs to increase significantly to support mass production for items like shoes.
Biodegradable shoes from widely available crops like soybeans could be a practical and profitable alternative to algae-based shoes.
Algae is preferred due to its lower land and water requirements compared to plants, with Algenesis Materials currently using oils from non-edible plants.
Consumers are urged to demand more environmentally friendly options to drive change in the market.
Biogas production from food waste is a sustainable energy solution, with the potential to reduce landfill waste and emissions significantly.

37:07

Texfad: Weaving Tradition, Sustainability, and Innovation

Texfad is a company in Uganda that weaves household goods and handicrafts, with some designs inspired by traditional East African patterns.
It can take up to a month to weave a rug at Texfad, with prices starting around $500.
Texfad employs 23 people and offers an internship program for students.
Banana textiles have been used for centuries in countries like the Philippines, Nepal, and Japan, but Texfad is one of the first companies to introduce it to Uganda due to the country's high banana production.
Banana fiber is biodegradable and a sustainable alternative to other fabrics, absorbing dyes better than cotton.
Composting banana stems into fertilizers is suggested as a more immediate solution by environmentalists, but the manual labor involved is a challenge for most farmers.
Machines that can produce thin banana fiber for the clothing industry are limited and costly, hindering widespread adoption.
Mint Innovation, a New Zealand startup, uses microorganisms to extract precious metals from e-waste in a cleaner and safer process.
Mint's process involves grinding circuit boards, using chemicals to separate metals, and utilizing microorganisms to concentrate precious metals.
Mint's long-term goal is to establish full-scale facilities globally to process e-waste locally, aiming to address the increasing global e-waste problem.

58:10

"Loop Coffins: Eco-Friendly Burial Innovation"

Lifepak handles numerous website orders weekly in the U.S.
Lifepak aims to modernize equipment for increased production.
Andres and Claudia plan to franchise Lifepak and expand globally.
The Loop Coffin, made from mushrooms, reduces burial material use.
The coffin grows in a lab in 7 days and decomposes in 2 months.
Mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms, is used to create the coffin.
Loop Coffins are lightweight, sturdy, and lined with moss for decomposition.
Loop Coffins allow for natural burials without embalming or synthetic materials.
Loop Coffins aim to reduce environmental impact compared to traditional burials.
Loop Coffins are priced at 1500 euros, cheaper than wooden caskets.

01:16:23

"Recycling Challenges and Solutions in Textile Industry"

Commercial scale recycling systems need to handle thousands of tons daily to impact waste output significantly.
Less than 1% of used clothing is recycled into new garments currently.
Recycling alone cannot solve the textile waste problem; confronting growth and overproduction is crucial.
H&M has no plans to reduce new clothing production, focusing on meaningful growth.
Consumers can help by buying less and extending the lifespan of their current wardrobe.
Artificial reefs made from remains of the dead are successful habitats attracting marine life.
Reef balls are designed to withstand sea currents, using marine-grade concrete for coral growth.
Eternal Reefs use reef balls for memorials, mixing cremated remains with concrete.
IKEA aims to make all products from renewable or recycled materials, with a buyback program.
Raya Tuna Mall in Sweden is the world's first second-hand mall, promoting recycling and reducing waste.

01:34:36

Revitalizing Rio Tuna Mall Through Sustainability

Mall workers sort donated items in a massive storage area, categorizing them for distribution to Rio Tuna's 14 stores.
Each store, like Axelina, receives specific items such as sewing machines for vintage clothing sales, with shops paying no fee for donations but rent for retail spaces.
Items needing repair, like sewing machines, are fixed by shop owners, with each store having its designated box for sorting.
Rejected items are sent back to the recycling center, while refurbishers at IKEA's second-hand store clean and refurbish donated items.
Upcycling old items into new products is common, with over 700 daily shoppers at Rio Tuna mall, where shop owners set prices independently.
The mall is part of a larger initiative to revitalize Eskasuna, focusing on sustainability and recycling, with sales exceeding $1.8 million in 2020.
Bloom, a company, turns harmful algae into plastic pellets, used in various products like sneakers and foam for shoes, with a focus on environmental impact.
While not fully recyclable, products made with algae pellets help reduce carbon emissions and clean waterways, addressing the harmful effects of algae blooms.

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