The Challenge of Plastic "Waste"
The world faces a looming challenge of handling our plastic, with the UN now negotiating a Plastic Treaty, similar to that of the Paris Climate Treaty because most of which is made of plastic, which simply does not go away. If it were put into a global circular economy however, the "waste" of today immediately becomes the feedstock for second-life products and materials, greatly reducing plastic pollution. Recycling, however, is not the main focus of the Plastic Treaty discussions, because unfortunately, many believe it does not work as promoted. But it does, and can, with societal change in the way we simply sort an collect, with plastic at the top-of-mind.
Plastic usually accounts for approximately 20 percent of a municipality's waste generation by weight, but by volume, the proportion is significantly higher. Most small communities do not have access to solutions, and this is where "catalytic philanthropy," particularly in the resource recovery sector, can make an enormous impact on peoples' lives on a global basis.
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