Precious Plastic

May 2, 2022

PRECIOUS PLASTIC

"A substance the earth cannot digest!" - Jeff Bridges

Plastic facts

Before the 1900s it was almost impossible to go a day without using objects made from ivory. The decreasing numbers of tusk supply and elephant population started a massive turn of events leading a search for a replacement. The solution was: Plastic.

A cheap substitute for ivory, plastic had many perks that allured people into using it: lightness (compared to glass or ceramic) and durability. So, you may think that we addressed this problem correctly, spoiler alert: was an entire mistake. Around 1960s plastic in the oceans started to be visible. It was a decade where Americans started getting environmental conscious.

Depending on its composition, plastic, takes at least 450 years to biodegrade. According to Our World In Data (OWID), the amount of plastic we produce is roughly the equivalent of the mass of two-thirds of the world population.

Plastic society

We live in a world were single-use plastic has become the rule and not the exception. Think about it. You go to your local coffee shop, get a cup of joe and then throw it away when you are finished. Why not reuse it? Instead of throwing plastic that will end for sure in the ocean, use a Thermus and take it everywhere so they can serve you there.

We could keep talking and get depressed over how bad our environment is doing, but we better get into action to overcome this situation. I have good news: There is an excellent project we can all form part of called, Precious Plastic.

What is Precious Plastic?

Precious Plastic was founded in 2013 by Dave Hakkens a design graduate, from the Netherlands. He started this ambitious project, trying to find new ways to reduce plastic pollution. Precious Plastic is a global community that creates tools to make recycling plastic easier. What's even better is that they do it for free! They want more people to join the community and start working to overcome the world's plastic problem.

One of their goals is to help people create their own recycle workspace. They teach what kind of space to look for, how should you collect the raw materials, how to sort different types of plastic, how to shred it, melt it and create new products.

Check out the community and join Precious Plastic at PRECIOUS PLASTIC

Other Hero organizations

Other organizations that are working relentlessly to help out and create environmental consciousness:
-Plastic Oceans
-Plastic Pollution Coalition
-National Geographic Pledge To The Ocean
-Package Free Shop