Aspergillus tubingensis is a type of mushroom that secretes enzymes. These enzymes could help to break down/degrade plastics in landfill. The plastic is degraded and the fungus gets food from breaking down the plastic.
The Ocean Cleanup
Engineers from the Netherlands have invented a system to clear up the rubbish from the Pacific garbage patch. It is called System 01 and is a 600m long, floating, rubbish-collector, which collects plastic in a 3m deep skirt. A garbage truck ship will collect the plastic every few months. The system is only a concept so far and has not been implemented but it is an innovative solution to clearing the rubbish patch. However clearing the patch will remove the rubbish from the ocean only, not remove it from the world completely.
Plastic Roads
In the Netherlands, there is a bike road made of 70% plastic. It is made of recycled bottles, cups and packaging. This reuse of plastic saves it from being burnt which releases toxic chemicals, or put in landfill where it will not degrade. Hopefully soon the road will be made of 100% recycled plastic.
Seaweed instead of plastic
There are plastics called bioplastics that are made from natural elements such as vegetable oils or wood chips that biodegrade instead of from crude oils that do not. A company in Indonesia has come up with a seaweed wrap for burgers and sandwiches that can be dissolved in hot water or even eaten because they are edible.
Social plastics
The Plastic Bank is a system that encourages people to collect plastic from litter/ocean/etc. and pays the people when the plastic is handed in, above market rate for the plastics, that are then sold onwards to other companies for 3 times the price. This gives people an income, fights poverty and encourages people to litter pick and improve the environment.
No comments:
Post a Comment