Can we solve the problem of ocean plastic pollution and end extreme poverty at the same time? That's the ambitious goal of The Plastic Bank: a worldwide chain of stores where everything from school tuition to cooking fuel and more is available for purchase in exchange for plastic garbage — which is then sorted, shredded and sold to brands who reuse "social plastic" in their products. Join David Katz to learn more about this step towards closing the loop in the circular economy. "Preventing ocean plastic could be humanity's richest opportunity," Katz says.
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hello from the other side (Algeria)
Sounds good. BUT… What if the rich collect all the garbage, because they want that 3 trillion $ before the poor get it? Isn’t this entire “give the poor a chance” part obsolete when collecting garbage suddenly gets really profitable?
Im my mind, the rich would just actively prevent the poor from improving their situation, so they produce more garbage that will end up in the pockets of billionaires.
DBoy Animations cant base an economy on that
Using heavy machinery and whatnot wouldn’t be profitable at all, so the rich would still need to pay the poor to collect the waste. So the poor still earn money and the waste still diminishes. The only difference is the middleman. The rich would also need to offer the poor more money than they currently earn from collection for them to concider doing it for the rich.
DBoy Animations the fantasy world you speak of sounds really nice. What do you call it?
DBoy That humanistic approach doesn’t even work within much richer societies, otherwise the U.S. had single payer health care for decades.
You do have to show people money, or they won’t take the bait to do ANYTHING helping “the planet” or “the society” or “humanity”.
To put their daily struggle into a daily struggle with a benefit for the rich or the planet is awfully cynical to the brim, but it might actually work.
Maybe add a limit to their savings, and at least they’ll still be cleaning up, and they can hire more manpower
Can’t wait to decentralise this middleman out.
can’t wait to decentralise the US out.
I wonder how chinas recent ban of the importation of plastics for recycling will affect his business model
well it starts by you not having a brain
This dude and I share the same name, David Katz! Only reason why I clicked on this video.
This is also the name of an excellent health expert.
Ban plastic and bring back glass!
You can share.
Let’s all agree that there is an existing demand for plastic here. What would make that go away?
I is highly impractical with glass bags. =D
Seudoplastic anyone?
Notorious Jag In Chile stores cant give plastic bags in cities near the ocean. Even when my city isnt near the ocean the mayor decided to do the same. Many people didnt like the idea bc of being not practical. Half a year later we all love it, we got used to carry fabric bags everywhere just in case. so believe me, it works
What an amazing project I feel so inspired
Alejandra Maria Palomo Santos same here ^^
Yo tambien
Wow, this is a pretty intense speech, a very good solution, respect!
the long pauses aside: great talk!
youre not watching at normal speed still are u ?
This isn’t a solution. The basic idea is good, but it doesn’t replace cleanup, it complements it.
1. There is already plastic in the oceans. It won’t be collected by these people.
2. The plastic they collect is being recycled. A percentage of that will end up in the oceans, adding to the plastic that is already there and ISN’T being cleaned up.
Or to use his overflowing sink example, He’s not turning the tap off completely, AND he doesn’t get a bucket or mop, because he’s decided that turning down the tap just a bit is good enough.
Dimetropteryx He didn’t say don’t clean up the ocean, he said do that last. This is not a replacement for ALL plastic waste scenarios, but it is a very smart solution that will help! If plastic is turned into currency, you might see some of the pirates off the coasts of poor countries doing some ocean clean up instead of high risk robbery. Try injecting a little imagination to improve ideas instead of rejecting ideas that you don’t find perfect.
He did say don’t clean up the ocean. That’s what doing it last means. “Don’t do it when it’s critical to do it.”
As for “injecting a little imagination to improve ideas”, that’s what I just did.
As for the idea not being perfect, that’s not a matter of opinion.
As for rejecting the idea, read the second sentence.
Dimetropteryx Your first sentence is a categorical statement rejecting this solution, âThis is not a solution.” Also last, doesn’t mean not at all. You have an interesting use of language that I can’t follow. Good luck with future communications.
Wrong. The first sentence rejects the framing of this as a solution, in direct contradiction of his claim that it is one. As I already explained, last does mean at all and that has nothing to do with language, and everything to do with the fact that there will never be a “last” to do this in.
I have a feeling you are very eager to opine and less eager to communicate.
So in order for there to be incentive to collect plastic, plastic has to be produced correct? It’s a good idea, but not a long term solution as long as plastic is being produced, which hopefully won’t be much longer.
Nyanino There’s already plenty of plastic out there. No currency system works if its basis is limitless.
@Nyanino Good point, recycling plastic need to be cheaper than making it.
This sounds intresting…Collect the plastic and feed your family. The homless in my area would thrive from this idea. Making plastic a kind of currency seems like a perfect set up.
This guy is seriously patronizing. His diatribe feels like a sales pitch you would see on Shark Tank, not something that belongs at a TED Talk.
ShinyShandera I agree that he’s being patronizing but I don’t see what you mean by “diatribe.” He isn’t directly attacking the listener, he’s doing the opposite.
Rick Sanchez I think it’s arguable that the angle he’s speaking from places blame on anyone who isn’t bought into the program he’s pitching. From that perspective I’d imagine the word is appropriate but maybe you perceived it another way.
Overall a good idea. The main three problems remaining though are-
first of all, all the plastic that is being manufactured in great quantities is unhealthy for humans as well and affects our health.
second of all, a lot of the waste ends up in the ocean before most people can reach it and clean it. The third problem, though that might just be me misunderstanding this, I heard him talk about this model being available in poor countries, which would help reduce it dramatically, but why stop there? What about the rest of the world? There’s a lot of littering in my country and I’m sure this doesn’t only happen in the most poor of countries. Recycling also isn’t equally pushed and understood all over the world.
This model is agreat start, but I think we should also start working on healthier and more environment friendly materials to replace plastic, as well as developing a better awareness for environmental issues and recycling worldwide.
Social plastic–> Alleviation of poverty–>Environmental protection
Turn 1.25x speed on! đ
Your metaphor is flawed. Recycling is not equivalent to turning off the tap. It’s more like bailing one side of the overflowing sink into the other side so less water (plastic) hits the floor (ocean). It may slow the rate of plastic entering the ocean, but the core problem remains. Until we ban the creation and distribution of single-use plastic bags, containers, utensils, etc., the plastic “tap” will remain open, and the ocean will remain at risk.
Set the playback speed to 1.25x
You’re welcome.
Mahir Cave genius thanks
1.5X is better.
Came here to say the same thing in the same words đ
*fistbump*