The worlds plastic pollution problem is an ever timely topic in the news. We are producing over 300 million tons of plastic every year, and National Geographic has reported that 91% of it is not recycled. Much of it ends up in our oceans,lakes, and rivers. Is it the responsibility of manufacturers to reduce their plastic production, or consumers to stop purchasing so much of it? Do we rely
on governments, scientists, and nature conservationists to solve this problem? Or should we be tackling this collectively as a society, with every individual doing their part?
The Inter-American Development Bank has established a "Rethink Plastic Challenge". The deadline is fast approaching - January 19,2020. The requirements are an innovation that :
1 - Shifts business models away from the use of plastic in packaging and transportation.
2 - Reduce single-use plastics and waste through promoting consumer behavior change and incentivizing re-use and recycling.
3 - Enables the public sector, especially municipalities, to pilot and implement new and innovative systems in their waste management systems.
They are offering prize incentive's totaling $60,000 USD, with a top prize of $30,000. In addition, the winning submissions could be financed up to $250,000 for a pilot project.
Do you have an idea, innovation, patent, or suggestion that you believe could change the process of plastic packaging and recycling in the future? Submit your idea before Sunday, January 19, 2020 for your chance to showcase it to the world.
We have been working for the better part of a decade on our recycling technology. We are passionate about reducing our carbon footprint through recycling, the reduction of virgin materials used, as well as producing and distributing our materials locally. This week we will be making yet another exciting announcement regarding our 100% recycled blocks. Check back in to hear what we have to say later this week!
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