Plastic is becoming a menace to society. It seems to be affecting our daily lives whether it be rubbish that hasn’t been put in the bin, clogging up drainage or hardming animals in the sea. Yet there is much more being done with plastic to ensure it is reused. Here are a few ideas of what some brilliant individuals and companies around the world have come up with when faced with a pile of garbage:
– The Reform Studio in Egypt is using plastic bags to reignite a disappearing industry in the country: handweaving. When woven through a handloom, the material Plastex is made which is strong, durable, washable, resilient to dust, comes in bright colours and produces designer-like furniture. https://www.treehugger.com/eco-friendly-furniture/company-turns-recycled-plastic-bags-designer-furniture-traditional-egyptian-weaving-process.html
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– Adam Fairweather, a designer by training and expert in recycling technologies and materials development, tackles coffee waste by making furniture out of them. On average, only 18-22% of a coffee bean is used to make coffee. Adam takes the excess amount from a company and sells it back to the same company as furniture made of up to 60% coffee beans. Now even Google has become one of his clients. https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/may/05/the-uk-company-turning-coffee-waste-into-furniture
– Unifi, an American textile maker, produces up to 300 million pounds of polyester and nylon from plastic bottles. Since launching in 2009, they make everything from jackets to t-shirts and brands like The North Face, Levi’s and Nike have all used Unifi’s products in their line. Some 400000 students accepted their diplomas in 2016 with graduation gowns made out of 100% recycled plastic from Unifi. http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/16/technology/plastic-bottles-fabric-repreve/index.html
– Conceptos Plasticos in Colombia have come up with a novel concept to the housing shortfall and landfill crisis in their nation. They have created a Lego-like material out of plastic, which fits together like building blocks, and can be constructed by the residents with no experience necessary. In fact, the construction process only costs $5200, is estimated to last 500 years and is resistant to natural disasters. https://inhabitat.com/lego-like-building-blocks-of-recycled-plastic-allow-colombians-to-build-their-own-homes/