• Voice in the Wind Magazine

OPINION

04/09/2020

CONCEPT REPORT

INTRODUCTION

Want to help the environment? If you’re like me, then you already have a full time job. Do you really want another? I sure as hell don’t and I think I have a way to make ends meet.

PROPOSAL/CONCEPT

We need to streamline our recycling system. I propose the “Ziploc Standard”, as I call it. Basically, all plastics should be dishwasher safe and recyclable. So let’s imagine a real world example. Remember the cereal you just bought – it’s in your cupboard. It has a plastic bag in it that holds the cereal. That bag is inside a box. Well, the bag is pretty flimsy and we’re supposed to rinse these things out to prevent food from contaminating the plastic during the recycling process. This means standing over the sink holding the bag or bluntly, I have to do the work. If the “Ziploc Standard” had been met, the cereal would have been in a plastic container, screw top with a tin foil seal (see below for picture). The plastic would be strong enough to keep its shape, even in the dishwasher, meaning the machine can do the work. That’s how I like it.

WHAT WE’LL NEED

1. Plastic containers (dishwasher-friendly, heat resistant, recyclable)
2. Dishwasher
3. Legislation to be written and passed into law
4. Manufacturer’s participation

PROCEDURE

1. Create a petition or bill for politicians
2. Get it on the floor
3. Pass the legislation

BENEFITS

1. Less manual labour
2. Higher participation rate
3. Less plastic waste
4. Higher recapture rate (less contamination of plastic)
5. No need for double packaging of cereal (the box is no longer needed)
6. Save a few trees by using less cardboard
7. Simplifies recycling by creating a shared standard and eliminating confusing labels/other types of plastic
8. Streamlines recycling facilities and standardizes equipment used
9. Standardizes recycling for consumers and industry at the same time
10. Containers are also reusable

CONCLUSION

In the future I hope ideas like this will transform how we solve problems in today’s world, opening the door to collaboration and people-first solutions that bring promise and hope for a better future.

Voice In The Wind Magazine Inc.