SOLVING THE TRASH PROBLEM TOGETHER
“Starting with plastic and scalable to every type of trash in the future”
During the last year we have been thinking about a solution to solve the trash problem around the world, certainly not an easy task nor impossible.
We decided to start with plastic and created a plastic brick solution that still has a way to go before being released for commercial use. The big idea behind the plastic brick was to 'kidnap' that plastic from the environment in order to create shelters. We felt that it was a good “remedy” for the plastic problem, but it wasn’t a radical solution to remove the trash problem.
The consciousness about the trash problem has created a great and new awareness around the world and there are many initiatives working on how to clean up this messy problem, but none of them aim to stop trash generation. We analyzed the problem based on trivium thinking, starting by studying the grammar of the problem, to apply the logic and generate our rhetoric or final idea to solve the trash problem.
We studied the problem mathematically and created an equation to calculate the amount of plastic consumption by an individual, based on the consciousness that he is acquiring within a given time period. That was the EPIK equation that we will uncover in a future paper, but the most important thing about this equation is that it gave us a new perspective to gather more grammar.
Next, we analyzed the meaning of TRASH in the dictionary and it was the following:
“anything worthless, useless, or discarded; rubbish.”
Applying our logic to it, we found that the problem now has an easy way of being removed and finally solved. We need to create a new plastic economy using today's technologies to add value to the trash (starting with plastics, but finally scalable to every type of trash).
Based on the trash definition above, if we can pay the plastic collectors (Miners or households), add value to that material locally and provide manufacturers or artist with the raw materials that they need, we will end up with a material that is no longer worthless, useless or discarded. By then the problem of trash will be eradicated, starting with the trash producers mind.
Plastics all around the world are disposed in landfills and rivers, finally landing in the oceans, researchers are discovering islands or even continents of plastics floating around the oceans and rivers fully covered by plastic trash all around the world. Our solution will help to solve the poor plastic disposal behaviour from consumers and manufacturers as well as to help clean the environment by incentivizing the plastic collection and recyclability.
THE NEW PLASTIC ECONOMY POWERED BY BLOCKCHAIN AND PEOPLE'S POWER
One of the biggest problem with plastic trash is how dispersed it is and how difficult is it to trace, to know where and how to collect it. Blockchain technology will not only help us to create the “Plastic Coin” currency that will be that base of this new plastic economy, but most importantly it will work silently in our favour to help us trace the plastic collected allowing us to know where all the raw materials are and whom or where the owners are.
Another problem and failure of recycling initiative has been the lack of motivation generated for the early adopter and/or final users. We will solve this by paying everyone involved in the economy a fair amount of “Plastic Coins” for their work.
The collectors or “Miners” which can be institutions, companies or households for example will have the duty to select and clean the plastics disposed at their facilities. When the miners want to convert the plastic to currency, they will simply schedule the collection and payment of those plastics through our App.
The plastic collection from our miners will be done by subscribed 'recyclable materials collectors' that are already all around the cities in southeast Asia. By subscribing to our App the collectors will create a kind of Uber of trash collection increasing the amount of plastic collected.
Finally all this plastic collected will be brought to the container factory based on an open source development of the Netherlands based “Precious Plastic Foundation”. These mobile plastic factories will be redesigned as per the need of the local population. Example: if the factory is located at a fisherman village, they will probably produce plastic products that fishermen need often but are expensive due to the transportation or import tax to be applied to it, but if the mobile factory is located in the city the need would be different. We will encourage locals to research their markets and create valuable thing to ensure the highest 'add-value' possible in order to improve the local economy as fast as possible. We will also use the already developed platform to sell items created with waste plastic at precious plastic web site or even create or own platform to do that, if it is needed.
One of our biggest challenges will be to generate the use of our currency in the local market, this is why we decided to keep it as a local coin, it will be easy to incentivize the use of the currency in the local market if it is a local solution improving local economy.
Below you can find a graph that explain the new “Plastic Economy”
KEY PARTNERS OF THE NEW “PLASTIC ECONOMY”
In order to develop a decentralized “Plastic Economy” we would like to include as many key partners as possibles into the MVP and hopefully on the final model. We separated the system to run smoothly into 5 parts, where each of the partners will have an important role and responsibility but those partners are also easily replaceable if needed for the systems to be reliable and perpetuate in the time.
The 5 parts of the systems are the following:
Miners & Collectors Application (Plastic Coin App)
Currency management and material traceability
Mobile Factory developer
Management and development of the new Plastic Economic system
Local Commerce and producers
The Plastic Coin App:
This App aims to create a network of Miners and collectors, both of them exist already in the city ecosystem of waste management but their relationship is torn apart by the lack of motivation of the miners to separate the trash at home.Plastic Coin Management and Raw material traceability:
Blockchain will help us to run this part of the economy with the extraordinary opportunity to trace the material lately as we believe the raw materials found in trash will be in the near future finite and expensive once the circular economy fully develops.Mobile Factory (MUCU):
Based on the open source mobile factory developed into a shipment container by “Precious Plastics foundation” we will start developing the machinery needed for each case and location more related to the local needs.System development and management:
An entity responsible for the HR/Financial management and development of the new Plastic Economy. Will be also responsible for media, crowdfunding campaigns, funds and any other duty related to the system to run properly.Local Commerce and currency trust:
As a very important part of the whole economy the local commerce, services providers and/or manufacturers will need to agree to use the “plastic Currency”.
We would like to make a difference in the world by assisting in cleaning up the mess. Please share your thoughts in the comments and if you can see the vision, lets work together to make this a reality.
Kind Regards
Rodrigo, Toni and Ali
BioGnosis NPC