Month: February 2023

Recently, I have seen a lot of talk about the use of recycled plastic being turned into building blocks that can be used in many different types of projects. Numerous different companies have created these in many different ways.

One way to make these durable blocks from plastic is by stuffing a water bottle with “single-use” plastics, such as wrappers, plastic bags, and really anything small and thin that could be recycled.  The key to these is compacting water bottles to the brim, as seen in the photo below.

This specific project is called EcoBrick. The really interesting thing about these is they also help with the removal of “carbon-intense petro-capital economy.” It basically stores carbon within the bottle. These plastics in bottles do not get sent back into the environment.

Regardless of what you may believe, these eco-bricks are very durable and can be used for multiple different projects. People have built benches, gardens, and even parks out of these blocks. These are different from other recycling techniques because it is about using regenerative techniques, rather than sustaining our resources. This is important because it is a new way to reduce our waste, which is exactly what we need! The best part about this is that anyone is capable of doing this and making a change!

Another amazing waste-reduction invention is from the company ByFusion. They recently created the ByBlock, which is “the first construction-grade building material made entirely from repurposed, often un-recyclable plastic waste.”These blocks can be used for sound walls, sheds, furniture, fencing, and many other landscaping or architectural uses.

They are created by compressing these plastics into blocks through a machine. They are even more durable than concrete, which can break whereas these plastic blocks cannot. You are even able to drill into these blocks, which can hold the weight of wood and other objects.

An important concept that ByFusion introduces is that plastic is not the problem, it is planning for how it can be used in the right ways. It is a strong material, and if we are able to find ways that it can be used for more than one day, and possibly years instead, plastic waste would be much easier to defeat.

The ByFusion platform has also brought community members together by creating jobs and making infrastructure. Working together is how we will be able to combat plastic waste as a whole.

It is important that we start to think outside of the box in order to reduce and even eliminate plastic waste and the toxins that we continue to put into our home. These two creations are live examples of how these easy solutions can create large impacts.

One of the biggest issues in today’s climate change is those problems that affect the ocean. They have become more unsafe every day because of ongoing pollution and trash that has taken over the ocean. However, many organizations have emerged over the past few years that have immensely helped rid our oceans of pollution and waste.

A program that I have seen on the internet over the past few years has been the company 4Ocean. They have helped to clean up 27,697,228 pounds of trash since 2017. They sell jewelry, beach gear, and other accessories as a way to fund this ongoing project. They have 12 locations and 17 vessels to help pick up this harmful trash all around the world.

Their mission is not only to help clean up the ocean but also to educate people on how to prevent ocean pollution. Along with educating, they also advocate, innovate, and help recover the ocean. Their main goal is to make others see that one small action leads to a global one. If everyone pitches in and works together such as helping to reduce waste and stopping the killing of ocean life, it will be much easier to end the harming of the ocean.

Another amazing organization that is helping to defeat the destruction of the ocean is the Ocean Conservancy. Their solution is to limit the amount of greenhouse gas pollution that are emitted into the air, which will help to eliminate global warming. The Ocean Conservancy’s main idea is to share how the ocean helps us in our every day lives. “it is important to remember that the ocean is not just a victim of climate change but also a key part of the solution.” In order to save the overall issue of global warming, we need to work on saving the main factors first, such as the ocean.

I also want to talk about the Ocean Cleanup Project, which is one of the largest cleanups in the history. Their way of helping to clean up garbage from the ocean is by intercepting trash that is makes its way into rivers from the ocean. Along with that, they are also currently cleaning up trash in the Pacific Ocean, and hope to reduce the amount of plastic by 2040.

Overall, there are numerous companies that are taking the step to help the reduction of pollution in the oceans. However, the only way we will ever be able to fully reduce this issue is by taking part in helping to clean up our oceans, whether that is recycling, using reusable water bottles, using less greenhouse gases, or even just becoming informed on how our oceans have been affected by our actions.

Change starts with us.