A scientific expedition, undertaken by the European program called Mediterranean En-Dangered (MED), reveals that 250 billion microplastics could be found in the Mediterranean Sea. The main goal of the program, which will end in 2013, is to quantify the distribution of plastic pollution and better understand its dynamics in the Mediterranean Sea.

Samplings were conducted within 20 centimeters depth at 40 sites located in the northwestern basins of the Mediterranean Sea mainly off France and northern Italy. Ninety percent of the samples were composed of microplastics, with some containing up to six times more micro-fragments of plastic compared to plankton, which means that the marine biomass was largely dominated by plastics.

Plastic life

The amount of plastic that will be manufactured in the next ten years will nearly equal the total produced in the 20th century. Globally we use more than 260 million tons of plastic each year. Most of the marine debris in the world is comprised of plastic materials (between 60 to 80% of total marine debris). Field studies have shown that mega- and macro-plastics have concentrated in the highest densities in the Northern Hemisphere, adjacent to urban areas, in enclosed seas and at water convergences. The longevity of some plastics is estimated to be hundreds to thousands of years!

Plastic is a major contributor to marine pollution. Plastic debris affects wildlife, human health, and the environment. The millions of tons of plastic bottles, bags, and garbage in the world’s oceans are breaking down and leaching toxins posing a threat to marine life and human. Plastic materials in landfills sink in harmful chemicals into groundwater. Chemicals added to plastics are dangerously absorbed by humans like altering hormones.

Via: ENN | ESI

Luckily, the Japanese company Blest has come forth with a real blessing. They have created a machine, which converts all these types of plastics back into oil. “It’s made from oil so it’s probably not very difficult to convert it back, that’s how we started”, says Blest CEO Akinori. The Japanese company has not only manufactures one of these fantastic machines; they have developed several of them in varying sizes, from a table-top model to a larger industrial scale version. These machines could be the start of a really big plastic recycling project. To watch the video, clic here.

The only setback that there seems to be in these machines so far is their price, a single machine costs around 10, 000 USD. After all we would basically be obtaining free oil from recycled trash, about 1 liter of oil per kilogram of recycled plastic. Hopefully as the project develops and grows the prices will be gradually lowered, and eventually home plastic recycling will be available to most people. Fortunately Blest assures that it is one of their goals to eventually create a machine affordable to everyone.

Until this ambitious goal is reached the promising project is in the hands of businesses to trigger the change. The results that could be obtained if these machines were put to use would be huge. The main change is to be able to see the potential in our trash, and understand that everything that we discard, say a plastic bottle for example, could potentially become oil.

Via: Got2BeGreen

Think twice when you are about to recycle (we can’t think of throwing it away at all) your plastic bottle. If you gather 12,500 you can reuse them building up your own boat and then travel around the world on it. This is not a joke, is what David de Rothschild did.

Six people were on board of Plastiki, a boat completely made of discarded plastic bottles that departed from San Francisco 4 months ago with destination to Sydney, Australia. This valiant adventure attempted to call attention to the issues of waste and pollution by sailing right through the Pacific Gyre garbage patch, a great mass of garbage concentrated by currents in the Pacific ocean.

After this 8,000 miles nautical- journey the crew is expecting that their efforts have helped spread the word about ocean waste. They hope “that the Plastiki’s legacy continues to put the message out there about how we can all be bigger, bolder and stronger in tackling the issue of waste. We already have the solutions it’s just about how we apply them”. Plastiki has been at the sea for 3,000 hours, a time during which more than 7,500 million bottles were used only in the U.S.

You can check out the Plastiki website for amazing dispatches from the journey, pictures on their mission and information about what you can do to reduce your waste and make sense of this journey.

Via: Inhabitat

But here´s the good news: Electrolux wants to gather plastic from the polluted Pacific Ocean, and turn it into vacuum cleaners.

That´s what Vac from the Sea is about: to bring attention to the issue of plastic pollution and, at the same time, combat the scarcity of recycled plastics needed for making sustainable home appliances.

By making a limited number of these vacuum cleaners, Electrolux will be using plastic debris harvested from the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Baltic and North Sea.

Not only you will be cleaning your house, but helping clean up the oceans!

Via: EcoFriend

The Kokua Festival in Hawaii, organized by Johnson himself, features Johnson and his band as the headline act, attracts 20,000 concert-goers over two nights. The environmental message is everywhere, even before fans make it through the gates. Posters and signs encouraging bike-riding, using renewable energy and overall protecting and respecting the environment are to be found wherever you look. There is even a bicycle valet-parking enclosure outside the Waikiki Shell, an outdoor auditorium on the outskirts of Honolulu where the festival takes place.

Kokua means help, as soon as you arrive at the auditorium gates you find more posters which set the “greening principles” for the event. Plastic water bottles are banned, sustainable biodiesel and biodegradable food utensils are used, the whole festival aims for zero waste. The money raised goes to a range of island-wide non-profit organizations, the Kokua Foundation’s stall is situated alongside representatives from the Hawaii Farmers’ Union, the Surfrider Foundation and the Liquid Aloha Brewery (‘coming soon: sun-powered beer’). Johnson’s non-profit foundation supports environmental education in schools and communities in the islands.

‘Eighty-five per cent of the islands’ food is imported – that’s crazy,’ Johnson says. ‘That’s one of those statistics that made us start up Aina In Schools – aina means land in Hawaiian, and it’s an acronym for Actively Integrating Nutrition and Agriculture. Teaching pupils about growing their own food and supporting farmers is the kind of local activism that is important.’ Johnson is very determined to deliver his green message to younger generations of Hawaiian population. By consuming healthier, organic food a lot of waste is reduced, since packaging and transportation are no longer needed.

Before becoming a world famous musician Johnson was a surfer, he began his professional life making surfing films. A keen water fanatic this sportsman is aware  of pollution, the east of Hawaii’s main island, Oahu, ‘is a filter for the Pacific Ocean, and there’s just plastic over the whole beach. It’s close to my heart because I surf over there a lot.’ he says.

Johnson’s message addresses major environmental issues, green food, recycling, pollution, renewable energy. He encourages younger generations to participate in this compromise with our planet. ‘It’s about trying to give children the same experiences I had. Try to give them a respect for nature.’ Johnson teaches that enjoying nature will show people the importance of respecting it, caring for it and hopefully preserving it.

The artist’s new, sixth album, To the Sea, was recorded in his home studio on Oahu’s North Shore using electricity provided by solar panels on his roof. It is so efficient that it puts energy back into the power grid for the use of his neighbors. ‘I’m not trying to say we’re saving the world. We’re just trying to put a little energy into it.’ And he does so. Literally.

via: Telegraph UK

This month a new green-spirited product will be featured in South Africa. Nike has created jerseys for FIFA’s top stars from recycled plastic water bottles. The manufacturer announced that some of the leading players that will be wearing these environmentally-friendly jerseys include Cristiano Ronaldo, Robinho and Ji-Sung Park.

Not only are these individual players going to be dressed in recycled material, in addition countries such as Brazil, the Netherlands, Portugal, United States, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Serbia and Slovenia will be dressed in plastic as well. Going Green seems to have been an important concept at this years FIFA World Cup, since many participants are joining in to encourage recycling by wearing these jerseys.

Nike states that each Jersey is made entirely from recycled polyester and produced from up to eight recycled plastic bottles. They also claim that there will be no adverse body reaction to the plastic, as the product has been carefully tested. The production process includes melting the bottles down to produce new yarn, this process saves raw materials and reduces energy consumption by up to 30 percent compared to manufacturing virgin polyester.

The bottles from which the outfits were made of sourced from Japanese and Taiwanese landfill sites. Manufacturing these “eco-jerseys” has helped Nike divert 13 million plastic bottles from building up as trash.

It is very encouraging that major companies such as Nike are joining in to fight for a greener world. Producing recycled Jerseys for the FIFA World Cup will surely have an impact on people, after all, we are al watching attentively to see what’s going on at the world tournament.

via: Ecofriend

Coca-Cola has teamed up with design firm Emeco to create a new fate for the millions of plastic coke bottles that are normally thrown away. The construction of the new “111 Navy Chair” will use at least 111 former coke bottles, or 60% PET plastic (recycled polyethylene terephthalate plastic), along with pigment and glass fiber for strength. The classic design of the chair was originally created for the U.S. Navy in 1944. The 111 Navy Chair will be available for purchase next month.

Gregg Buchbinder, the Chairman of Emeco explains:

When Coke came to me with this project I jumped on it. It’s a huge investment for a small company, but we have the potential of reusing the PET from about 3 million plastic bottles a year. That’s a lot of bottles and a lot of chairs too. The new chair is the strongest, and most beautiful we can make. We’ve turned something you throw away into something you want and can keep for a long, long time.

Coca-Cola is not alone in recycling trash into beautiful and useful designs, and it is building its reputation as a corporation dedicated to a greener future. “The 111 Navy Chair is a reflection of our commitment to sustainability, constant innovation and originality in design,” said a spokesperson for the company. Other recent Coke initiatives include switching to hybrid delivery trucks and making their plants more environmentally friendly by installing energy efficient lighting and water saving technology.

Changes like these from a company as large as Coca-Cola could set a strong example for other businesses to follow. Do you think such effort will make an impact?

For more insight into the effects of plastic on the environment, check out the fascinating documentary, Addicted to Plastic, by filmmaker Ian Connacher.

Tags: plastic, recycling, documentaries, Coca-Cola, green design, Ian Connacher

There are two main types of houses Affresol erects. Regular ones will use around 18 tons of recycled plastic, whereas modular homes will use about four tons. The main target for whom the houses are designed are low-income families. In the meantime, the modular buildings can be used as classrooms, offices, showrooms, storage and construction site offices.

Among the benefits of TPR, we can mention that it lowers the cost of a house, both because it is recycled and because construction times are shorter. Estimates are this type of houses can be up to 12% cheaper than regular buildings. Further, it insulates very well, keeping interior temperatures more comfortable, and stopping sound from invading the house.

Some other attributes of the TPR are that it’s stronger than concrete, it is water proof, it is fire retardant, it does not rot, neither does it leech harmful elements, and it has better flex and tensile characteristics than concrete.

The estimated time these houses are expected to last is between 60 and 80 years. The TPR elements are entirely recyclable. Plus, they have a 15-year guarantee.

Swansea, Wales. That’s where the first pilot TPR home has been constructed. The company plans to build 3,000 homes a year, which would allow it to recycle 40,000 tons of waste. Africa, Asia and Australia are being considered as possible locations for deploying TPR homes. The idea of creating jobs and providing people with accessible housing in a continent like Africa seems most appealing.

Welsh Economy Minister Ieuan Jones showed enthusiasm towards this project saying that it offers great construction opportunities and has the potential to generate green jobs. Affresol is also obviously showing great zest; it has announced TPR can bring along a revolution in the building industry.

It might still be too early to say so, but I think that the combined advantages of reducing waste, recycling, and avoiding the usage of new materials could definitely trigger a breakthrough in the way we construct our buildings.

VIA: Ecofriend

De Rothschild’s goal is to show people what can be done with our trash, and what happens when we don’t deal with it. That’s why the Plastiki will visit the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. I can picture the two opposites: the fantastic recycled-plastic boat and the huge pile of trash that is contaminating our waters. It’s up to us to stop that pile from growing, and start finding witty ways of re-cycling and up-cycling our waste.

The name Plastiki was inspired by the journey of Thor Heyerdahl, who in 1947 sailed from South America to Polynesia on the Kon-Tiki.

The expedition is expected to last around three months, starting in San Francisco and arriving at Sydney, Australia. Why San Francisco? De Rothschild considers it a progressive city in terms of sustainability, which has, among other things, already banned the use of plastic bags.

Plastiki is not only made up of recycled soda bottles, it also features other eco elements. It includes solar panels, a hydroponic garden, a desalinator, composting toilet waste, a glue made of cashew hulls and sugar to replace epoxies, an electric turbine powered by solar, wind and kinetic power which will come from a bicycle power generator.

Using bottles as a building material was obviously not easy. Most simply put, the process includes sorting bottles by their color, then peeling their labels. Trash inside of them is removed, and they are washed. Damaged or crushed bottles need to be brought back to life, and for this, dry ice is used to help expand the bottle. The catamaran’s hulls had to be specially designed to fit the two-liter bottles.

“…our vessel could influence the whole (boat) industry. That outcome, regardless of if we make it across the Pacific, would be the success of the expedition”, says De Rothschild. The Plastiki is apparently 100% recyclable. Its framework is made of self-reinforced polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The hulls are made of plywood.

The cabin can accommodate six people. It was designed by Architecture for Humanity architect Nathaniel Corum, and after the expedition it could be used as a disaster-relief shelter. Among the people who will travel in the Plastiki, there will be scientists and biologists that will study the mentioned garbage patch, as well as ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and marine diversity.

VIA: NY Times

LA Times

More: The Plastiki

It may be discouraging to think that only a law can change human behavior. We who work in organizations that try to foster more eco-friendly ways of living can be led to ask ourselves whether informing readers is worth it. I still think it is.

Laws are generally the result of human evolution. Though maybe an extreme example, slavery was legal until people’s minds started to change, and they began to see it as something immoral. That’s when a law that declared slavery illegal came around.

So, coming back to North Carolina and its banning of not recycling bottles and cans, I think this is the result of a generalized progress in our conception of waste. A few years ago, bottles were just dumped without anyone worrying about it. After years of this risky carelessness, we are coming to realize that a change is needed.

The way in which we produce, distribute, consume and then dispose of products is not sustainable. This process is a linear one, in which great amounts of energy are used, and wasted. In nature, processes are cyclical, so there is no waste, everything is recycled. The problem with our own, human, artificial system is that too much is wasted. This leads to contamination, because ecosystems are not capable of processing all of our trash. Further, to power our flawed linear cycles, we use non-renewable and polluting sources of energy; fossil fuels.

So, with what may seem as small efforts, such as N.C.’s law on recycling bottles, we are correcting ourselves, trying to generate less waste.

For now, there has been some progress thanks to the law. Recycling rates have grown. There are three recycling centers in the county, and since the landfill bottle ban was passed, the average amount of pounds of plastic collected per month went from 14,000 in September 2008 to 19,000 pounds in September 2009.

More than 14,000 people work in the recycling industry in North Carolina, so the law not only helps better care for the environment, it also provides employment to many.

VIA: Treehugger

More: North Carolina Department of Environment

Starting January 1^st, 2010, businesses in Washington D.C. selling food or alcohol have to charge 5 cents for every disposable paper or plastic carryout bag. Now, that might not seem like a lot but getting charged for plastic bags makes us consider costs we sometimes forget about. Plastic takes so long to degrade naturally that it can have a strong negative impact on the environment. By charging the customer, supermarkets such as Giant force us to consider these costs.

Save one or two, most of the customer’s I’ve seen while shopping seem to respond favourably. I heard one man say, ‘I can’t believe they’re charging us…but I guess it’s for a good reason.” The response was even better while the 250,000 reusable bags that were handed out free were still available. Now most people just accept that they will have to get used to the change and slowly but surely they are.

The charge has a double purpose as most of it is also used to fund the Anacostia River Protection Fund which is administered by the District Department of the Environment (DDOE). The rest is given to the businesses that offer a rebate when customers bring their own bag.

This is a small practical step but a strong and positive psychological one. Let’s hope it is one of many.

Source: Green DC

This is no joke. We’ve already talked here on Sustentator about how plastic accumulates around the world, such as in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Every year millions of tons of plastic are produced, and it may take up to 1,000 years for it to decompose. Meanwhile, plastic kills thousands of animals all over the world that eat it or become entangled in packaging materials.

Daniel Burd, a Canadian teenager, presented his science project at the Canada-wide Science Fair in Ottawa. His invention won many prizes, including $10,000 and a $20,000 scholarship.

Daniel, who is 16 years old, got his environmental idea from everyday life. He said: “Every week I have to do my chores at home, and when I open the closet door, there is an avalanche of plastic bags. One day I just got tired of it, and I decided to find out what everyone else did with their plastic bags.” The answer was nothing. So he decided to do something.

Plastic is not biodegradable, or rather, it is not degraded by bacteria as other materials are, but instead degrades very slowly in almost the same way as a rock does. Daniel knew that plastic would end up degrading eventually, but he had to accelerate this degradation. That’s why he started studying microorganisms that could degrade plastic.

He did an experiment that lasted for months, testing which microbes were capable of degrading plastic. Finally, he was able to identify four types of microbes that were able to partially degrade a common plastic bag.

Then he mixed the various microbes that eat plastic and found that they helped each other to reproduce or degrade the plastic. The two winning bacteria are sphingomonas and their helper pseudomonas.

It’s important to realize that we’re talking about a schoolboy who was able to achieve this using high school equipment, something that many researchers all over the world with the best equipment have not achieved, or have not wanted to achieve.

The result is that Daniel discovered that plastic can be biodegradable, with human assistance. An industrial application of Daniel’s homemade method would be cheap. And it would be using nature to solve one of the greatest problems of humanity – plastic garbage that accumulates by the tons on the Earth and in the water.

Source: The Record