BY 2050 THERE WILL BE MORE PLASTIC WASTE IN THE OCEAN THAN FISH

As the world is facing a serious problem of plastic waste, the startup « ByFusion» has invented a new way to remove the debris out of our oceans.

According to Ellen MacArthur Foundation, by 2050 there will be more plastic waste in the ocean than fish.

« The 4-12 million tonnes of plastic that is spewed into our waters ever year is a problem that can no longer be ignored. »

Aware of the alarming fact, a New Zealand engineer, Peter Lewis, had a light-bulb moment : « What is all of this plastic waste could somehow be put to good use ? ». ByFusion takes plastic waste in any shape or form, feeds it into its machine (kind of like a giant washing machine) and creates blocks, known as RePlast. These are the same size and shape as the conventional concrete blocks most commonly used in US construction project.

RePlast is described as a « nearly 100-percent carbon neutral, non-toxic manufacturing process » and can be easily used in any new building projects. In fact, the recycled plastic blocks have been designed to be used in walls and road barriers, but the company is open to customizing the building material for use in other types of projects as well.

« Needing no glue or adhesives, RePlast blocks could represent the next wave of sustainable construction, since they are completely recycled from collected waste plastic (with no discrimination for plastic type) and have 95-percent lower greenhouse gas emissions than traditional concrete block. Due to the nature of plastic debris, the blocks are a lot more colorful, too. »

Original article by The Inhabitat

Image copyrighted to ByFusion