Plastic-free world tour

by Marco Muggiano

They call them disruptors, although it is now such an overused term that it has become the subject of irony (see the recent film Glass Onion - Knives Out, with Daniel Craig and Edward Norton). We prefer to call them lateral thinkers, those who identify a problem and solve it with a non-linear but even more effective solution. Around the world there are many who are trying to turn excess plastic into something good for the planet. From the huge selection, we have drawn a few examples of promising innovators and start-ups.

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Siklus
Indonesia
www.siklus.com
Indonesia is the second largest marine polluter in the world, where the equivalent of a truckload of plastic waste is dumped into the ocean every 20 seconds. Siklus wants to reinvent the future of detergent, bubble bath, shampoo and household product retailing by delivering them directly to your home in refill form, without the need for new plastic. Customers just need to order via an app or WhatsApp to receive the refills, which, naturally, are delivered by bike.

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gDiapers
Australia
www.gdiapers.com
Disposable diapers have literally invaded the world: around one billion diapers are used and thrown away every day on our planet. Every diaper contains plastic (even the environmentally friendly ones) and will take up to 400 years to decompose into micro- and nano-plastics.
The innovation of gDiapers is a plastic-free disposable diaper complete with a delivery and collection service. This not only stops plastic pollution at the source, but also allows the diapers to be collected and composted in nutrient-rich soil, replenishing the earth.

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WasteBazaar
Nigeria
www.wastebazaar.com
A Nigerian start-up that wants to turn care for the planet into a daily expendable currency by offering an online store where you pay with GreenCredits earned from recycling waste. At the heart of the project is geolocation, which provides users with real-time access to the nearest recycling stations. Here, recyclable waste is exchanged for green credits. Food, household goods, food products and other consumer goods can be ordered with GreenCredits, promoting social inclusion and combating poverty.

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Wasser 3.0
Germany
wasserdreinull.de
Oceans are not the only destination of microplastics: large quantities can accumulate in fertilizer compost for agriculture and horticulture. Microparticles can therefore reach humans not only through marine animals, but also through food from agriculture. The German Wasser 3.0 offers tailor-made solutions for each type of water (marine, river, sludge, wastewater) to allow the agglomeration and skimming of microplastics and micropollutants. Detection and recycling, combined with maximum efficiency in water purification, resource conservation, and waste and wastewater recycling management.

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RiverRecycle
Finland
www.riverrecycle.com
Rivers are an important waste transport route: more than 80 percent of marine plastics come from land. Founded in Helsinki, Finland, and active in nine countries (including India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Vietnam, as 86% of plastic waste carried by rivers flows into the oceans from the Asian continent), this company installs waste management systems on the banks of the most polluted rivers, collecting floating waste. The collected waste is then sorted by material type and sold for mechanical recycling where possible, while organic waste is composted. The remaining low-value plastic waste is used in pyrolysis. The oils resulting from pyrolysis are sold and part of the profits are reintroduced into the host community to also improve local economies.

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Diwama
Lebanon
diwama.com
Based in Lebanon, this waste management company uses Artificial Intelligence that, through image recognition, distinguishes material composition and contamination levels in real time. The waste flows on conveyor belts, is characterized and immediately tracked and cataloged by material composition and quality. The AI adapts the identification of different forms of waste according to the local recycling program.