16-year-old Waterloo, Ontario high school junior Daniel Burd wanted to speed up the decomposition of plastic, a process that was estimated to take thousands of years, if not more. Guess what? He succeeded. The secret? He combined landfill dirt, yeast, tap water, and ground plastic and let it sit. It only took three months to break down! Good job, Mr. Burd. A+.
Implications - Since the increasing concern around global warming exploded, a lot of people have been opting for eco-friendly products and have begun bringing their own bags to grocery stores so that they do not use plastic. Businesses that create eco-friendly products give people the chance to to buy products that they can feel good about.
What's Driving This Trend
- Eco-friendly Product Creation
- Businesses can create eco-friendly products to give consumers the chance to buy products they feel good about
- Accelerated Plastic Decomposition
- Opportunity to develop and market methods to accelerate the process of plastic decomposition
- Innovative Waste Management
- Efforts to develop innovative methods and products to manage waste more efficiently and sustainably
Who This Affects Most
- Sustainability
- Companies can create new innovations to make sustainability a priority in their operations
- Plastics Manufacturing
- Opportunities to create more biodegradable plastic or finding ways to decompose plastics in a safe and efficient manner
- Waste Management
- Innovations in waste collection, separation and effective management systems for a more sustainable future
