Plastic pollution solutions: Finance, Innovation and Technology

Plastic pollution costs everyone. And the environment pays the ultimate price. What if… less money was spent on inadequate management of this vast problem - and more on solutions!

[@RichardBrubaker]

The challenge with this is multi-vectored, but picking off a couple of the big ones here:
1) Many cities that are lacking the funds for a traditional waste management system, would lack the funds for an innovative one
2) Innovations in packaging are often discussed, and there are plenty of options, but in developing nations (which are picture above) the market cannot support the economics
From our experience, in China (and now through research in SE Asia), the best stop gap to this is finding way to support the informal collection of materials. This happens, at scale, across China's cities. Largely due to proximity to its manufacturing base. Something missing in many other areas.
However, as megacities in Indonesia, Thailand, India, etc ramp up their urbanization curve, we are starting to see that some materials (PET plastic and cardboard) are increasingly being pulled out by informal actors and then sold into the economy.
Second to that, forcing industry to pay the full price of disposable packaging will support the business case for reduced packaging, increased collection, and reuse. this was made clear through the 2018 National Sword program in China, where the cost of carboard and plastic increased (up to 40%).
This has catalyzed brands to look for reduced packaging designs, has catalyzed informal/ formal actors to collect/ sell these materials, and has also improved the business case for larger investments in waste management.

[@lifestylemantraz9097]

Plastic pollution is seriously required to be managed. Everyone should realize and responsibly act upon this issue.

[@KJSvitko]

Time to end the plastic packing materials.
Recycled paper products would be better.
I remember when people crumbled up newspaper for packing material. It worked fine and could be recycled again.

[@KJSvitko]

All plastic needs to be recycled.
There should be no single use plastic items made.
All "NEW" plastic items should have 50% or more recycled plastic content.

[@tazboy1934]

No more virgin plastic