Plastic litters are precious plastic

Take a breather from complaining about plastic bottles littering the environment and take a look at this video.



Don't you like it that you can now process plastic discards into something useful again?

And, don't worry about the cost of getting the machines you need to start because, you are going to learn to make your own with affordable basic materials at Precious Plastic.

Work on "Earth for Life" Global Fund

Many people are facing the consequences of climate change.  Land are lost and homes swept away by accelerated sea level rise due to melting glaciers.  As the temperature increases due to greenhouse effect, droughts and wildfires are taking away wildlife and their habitats.

We are producing more Carbon dioxide (CO2) than the earth could absorb by the way we are changing the landscape, cutting down trees, mining and burning fossil fuels for industrialization. But before we blame every country for greenhouse gas emissions, let us check out what Bhutan is doing about it.



I like the dream Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay, shared on how we can all be carbon neutral together by kickstarting an "Earth for Life" global fund.

Let's us work on making it a reality by sharing his idea.

And if you are curious what "Gross National Happiness" is about, read this book.

 

Mason jars not made for food

The mason jars supplied by Harald Schultz are not meant for food but the light they created, provided food on the table of formerly unemployed and under educated men and women from South Africa, who are now working for him.

He calls it Consol Solar Jar as it uses the power of the sun to charge its solar cells.



This is definitely a safer and more sustainable alternative to the kerosene lamps used in most developing countries.

Now, what else can we create with mason jars?  Harald Schultz's green initiatives are inspiring.  Don't you agree?

Green enough to re-use bath water?

If being environmentally friendly means re-using your bath water, would you?  It may sound gross to anyone, but if you can get yourself a Hotaru, why not?

With a Hotaru you can even shower anywhere you want as it is a portable pop-up nylon tent set up over a plastic base that holds about five gallons (20 L) of water.  As an added plus, there is a purification filter in its base to clean up your dirty soapy water good enough for you to use it again.

If you use it on a camping trip, the unit needs to be connected to a car's cigarette lighter which will provide a shower of cold water.  If you need hot showers, you will have to use it where there is a power outlet or a generator to plugged it in to.

The filters are expected to last about two months and there is a built-in sensor to let you know when it is time to change them. Just remember to use mild body cleansers.

Check out how it looks in action.



Currently, the unit weighs 32 kg but founder, Ryo Yamada, says they are working to reduce it.

Read this at Gizmag.

PET plastics eating bacterium

Good news!  

A team of scientists led by Dr Shosuke Yoshida from the Kyoto Institute of Technology in Japan, discovered a new bacterium with the ability to completely break down PET plastics in a relatively short space of time.

The scientists were able to recreate the bacterium, which has been named Ideonella sakaiensis, in the lab and have them break down the plastic to its basic building blocks: two environmentally harmless monomers called terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol.

And if you are wondering why should we care about this progress, it is obvious that you have not read about the "plastic soup" that Captain Charles Moore discovered at the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, 

Read this at Gizmag.

New chairs from discarded chairs

Interested in getting your kids new chairs made from discarded office chairs?

If your answer is, "No way!", it is obvious that you have not read about the Nakadai Project.

It's an effort by Japan’s Design Association in collaboration with industrial waste processing company, Nakadai, architects and designers to make stock that are no longer wanted into useful material for creation of new artifacts.

Guess what they could make out of bases from these discarded office chairs?

Need a clue?  Here you go.

Are you getting any closer to the answer?  Still guessing?

Here is the answer.

The bases are made into colourful benches that can be lengthened or shortened to meet a child's need.

I think this project is a great way to teach our children what upcycling is all about.

You can read the full article at the following link:
Nakadai Project: Block Chair by sugiX

Reading this article has inspired you to upcycle what you have on hand?  You can pick up some upcycling ideas from best selling author, Kitty Moore.

When price of oil drops...

When price of oil drops, not everyone will be rejoicing.

Let's take a look at the plastics recycling industry.  Plastics are made from oil.  When oil price slumps, it is cheaper for manufacturers to buy freshly made plastic.  We will see less used plastic material being collected for recycling. 

So, all the more reasons for us to consider using less plastic in our product or packaging. If you need some help, read this book, "Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too", by Beth Terry.