Background:

Plastic is one of the most ubiquitous building material to have ever been invented, applications of it are used in all market sectors: from medicine to food packaging, straws and even in the design of most if not all electronics we use today.

And yet, because both its carbon cost as well as its waste management cost were never considered at its inception and later were conveniently brushed aside; especially with the all too-common excuse of oil companies pushing the claim and research facade showing its potential for recyclability and re-use (knowing it was simply not economical).

Plastic as a valuable building material

One thought is what would happen if we instead thought of plastic not as a disposable material but instead as a valuable durable and re-usable building material (which it is). Hence commanding a higher cost commensurate with both its reliance in oil (greenhouse gases) as well as its waste management difficulty.

Is there any economic model where we could change the way we view plastic to take into account its carbon and waste-added costs, perhaps different pricing/cost models, tax on plastic, change in consumer’s perception; any way to reduce the sheer waste of it we have today?

We’ll keep thinking, hopefully we’ll come back with ideas at some point in the future.



Leave your comments below (or comment directly here).

Thank you for your feedback.