With a high level systems thinking or systems engineering approach, even the most complex situations can be sifted into manageable categories and then simplified into the approachable, actionable steps. The above infographic simplifies the global waste management, and plastics and microplastics quandary into quadrants of solution. A quadrant is an instrument used for surveying, so it seems appropriate.
Readily Biodegradable Packaging & Materials:
In the top left corner, reformulating and modifying materials at the very beginning of the supply chain or production process is the most important. And to make sure these will *readily biodegrade* and not just compost. Fortunately, a growing number of plastic alternatives are now available, that biodegrade and compost. This means companies have a responsibility to the environment, our home planet – and at the moment our only planet. One notable success story is global packaging leader Amcor, headquartered in Australia.
The Studio Shangri-La Ecotech branch is also developing a versatile biopolymer to address this part of the quadrant, alongside many companies, like USA World Centric, that have growing success in this area. The goal is for increasing adoption from large plastic producers and customers such as restaurants. This manufacturing modification will transform our landscape dramatically for the better and in the essential interest of public health. It’s possible putting quick biodegradables securely in place could eliminate the need for some recycling.
The Studio Shangri-La biopolymer, a plug and play substitute for plastic – as yet to be named – would join the company of those already in circulation, from plant starch based, recycled paper, to algae and bamboo. There are a number of choices, yet the market is far from saturated. There are so many potential customers and what a positive impact this type of sustainable business modification would make.
The biodegradable packaging space is indeed ripe for innovation and expansion. And Studio Shangri-La Ecotech is literally cooking something up in the kitchen. More news on that later! It’s a pleasure to join the space and join the conversation, taking action now towards a healthier future.
Prevalent & Versatile Waste Receptacles:
The next Solution quadrant is quite simply making sure there are more waste receptables, and ones that are equipped to handle a variety of waste, with different compartments and even technologies built in – such as being equipped for compost, having sensors for fullness, or more incentive based bins. benefit of expanding what is accepted by recycling redemption centers, to both provide a pathway of income to many and also to reclaim much needed metals and other materials.
Incentivizing the collection of any type of trash and perhaps measuring / paying by weight, could create a culture where cleanup efforts are both very effective and normalized. Hard work like this deserves recognition and fair compensation. By expanding the scope beyond just recyclable materials, people might feel more inclined to participate, even for smaller, everyday items like wrappers or cigarette butts. It would mostly likely dramatically improve to the overall beautification and health of communities while addressing microplastic pollution.
Normalizing such practices could also encourage governments, organizations, and businesses to integrate these systems into their sustainability goals. Over time, it might even shift societal perceptions of waste management, making it a more valued and respected job, because it is valuable.
In addition to pitching ideas to Greater Boston communities and businesses, Studio Shangri-La Ecotech is developing a next generation waste to water receptacle that eventually makes the whole process a less dirty job, and even comparatively autonomous. The patent for this opto-sonically driven waste receptacle is pending.
Improved Waste Management Facility Methods:
The next quadrant section addresses upgrades to existing waste management facilities, such as waste-to-energy technologies, including enhanced composting and more efficient breakdown, such as with bacterial enzymes and other accelerators.
Another powerful idea is integrating extraction facilities for glass and metals within waste management systems, which would make them far more efficient and sustainable. Such coupling would not only reduce the reliance on landfills but also create valuable materials that could be reintroduced into manufacturing, supporting a circular economy.
For example, Glass Extraction and Metals Retrieval. Ash from incineration could be vitrified to produce glass-like materials, potentially supplying a bottling company or construction industry for applications like tiles. E-waste facilities could be paired with waste management systems to recover valuable metals like gold, silver, and copper from electronics, addressing both landfill overflow and resource scarcity.
This opens doors for partnerships between local businesses, institutions and municipalities to scale these ideas. For example, waste management facilities collaborating with scientists and tech companies to refine e-waste extraction methods or with, as in the example, bottling companies to process vitrified glass efficiently.
Studio Shangri-La Ecotech is approaching this quadrant in the ongoing development of a photocatalytic process that would accelerate the breakdown or conversion of waste, an amplified and enhanced version of what would happen in a landfill with sun exposure. Some more well-known accelerators are bacterial enzymes, including plastic eaters, which are also significantly impactful in existing waste management and continuing upgrades.
Speaking of enzymes, incorporating a mushroom patch into a waste management facility could be interesting and effective addition for both waste decomposition and resource recovery. Oyster mushrooms are one type that can digest plastic waste through their enzymatic activity. Imagine setting up a patch of oyster mushrooms in a controlled environment where they could do that while simultaneously producing edible mushrooms. This is just another possible way of coupling for more efficient circular processes.
Enhanced Water & Wastewater Treatment Technology:
For the final part of this large scope 4 solutions quadrant, advanced filtration systems are a focus here for the removal of microplastics and chemicals, such as nanofiltration, reverse osmosis and biofilters. These filters can be applied additionally for drainage and stormwater.
Another useful part of this is using circular water systems such as rainwater collection, and so also decentralizing the treatment.
Studio Shangri-La Ecotech is concerned with the novel application of light and chemistry, or optochemistry, in this area. The fully realized waste to water receptacle is a work in progress.
Fortunately many individuals and companies are working on related projects. That’s a signal for encouragement, yet not complacency. In this space of cleaning up our planet and restoring ecosystems, the more contributors the merrier. Of course, action is key.
The aim of the quadrants is to present a logical survey or breakdown – pun absolutely intended – of the situation at large, how to address it systematically and effectively, and also presenting further ideas on implementation, in addition to sharing the Studio Shangri-La Ecotech progress. Happy Earth Month! (Yes I know, it’s Earth month every month.)
