An article came out this week in the Guardian on humanity's addiction to plastic: A million bottles a minute It's gone viral because it's a lays out t he reality of the great danger that plastic pollution poses to the biosphere. The article is landmark. Its the first that I've read that gets to the gist-- that the Industrial Recycling and governments we all trusted, just don't solve plastic. This is why the plastic is pilling up in landfills, rivers, and of course the ocean. You all know this.
What you probably also suspect, is that instead of old, industrial and capitalist "solutions".... we need a people powered, consciousness raising, paradigm shifting Solutions. And it's here. Yeah baby!
I have spent the last four years of my life focusing on plastic pollution and what we call "Ecobricks". Despite the Guardian's bad news... the great news is that with the ecobrick movement we've got a deep solution. I have written a letter to the Guardian today that was just published on their letters page. I post it here on Steemit:
"There's a solution! And you can start immediately. Here in my home in Indonesia, my neighbors and I, clean, save and segregate our plastic then pack it into PET bottles to make a building block called an Ecobrick. I use Ecobricks to make my furniture and for the bedding-benches in my garden. Ecobricks are a super simple way to keep plastic out of the Industrial Recycling system and the biosphere. Whereas in the Industrial recycling system, plastic gets bounced around the globe and only reused a few times, Ecobricks enable indefinite local cycling of plastic. When applied properly, an Ecobricks can be used over and over again in one construction after another. Thank you so much for this great article Guardian. You've confirmed what we suspected every time we walk on the littered beaches here in Indonesia: that government and industry just aren't aren't solving plastic-- we gotta take care of our own plastic ourselves! "
See www.Ecobricks.org for the full low-down on Ecobricks.
Even better, give me a follow-- I am new to Steemit... but I will posting lots on the issue of plastic pollution and... the solutions! I am a regenerative inventor working every day with things like bamboo and bottles to come open with open source innovations.
It is heartbreaking to see scientists cut open the stomachs of fish in far-reaching areas of the world, and 90% of them contain plastic!!
One was so misshapen - it had a square plastic cracker container inside. Can't remember the location - I think near Antarctica.
July is "No Single-Use Plastic Month," but the plastic users don't know anything about it!
Very good post on an issue we should all pay attention to! Upvoted !
Can you please show some ecobrick furniture in a post? I'm very interested in furniture and sustainable design !
You betcha. :-)
This is such a great idea! Thanks you so much fo the inspiration. Cambodia is also littered with plastics.
Are you in Cambodia? That's one language we haven't got our resources into yet. Ecobricking has begun there though!
Great thing that you do !! We need more people taking actions like you !!
I started last week my first ecobrick but still a long way to go !!
Nice! We jusssst updated the section of our site on How to make an Ecobrick. Be sure to check that out: www.ecobricks.org/how
Great post! Upvoted and resteemed! =)
Thanks bro!
This is great I to would love to see a ecobrick furniture in a post @russmaier
@Simonjay OK! for sure.