Ward – Adele Foucart

I found Adele Foucart’s presentation so inspiring because it was living proof that one person can make a difference. Seeing a problem in how something is done and taking action, especially if it is something so big like plastic waste, is a very hard thing to get motivated to do but she wasn’t alone and that shows that none of us are alone when we are trying to create change. I learned that her Precious Plastic Shanghai organization really took off once they were introduced or reached out to more and more people. Having a chance to learn from others and gain inspiration is something I believe we take for granted but once you come to really appreciate it major change can come from it. They started off trying to create machines that failed but once they realized others could do it they found the strength within them to do it as well and finally they did. Started off that small and later on becoming an organization that gets calls to come to host events by Adidas and BMW is really wonderful to see and gives me hope that many people will start to eventually realize the change we need to make to this earth.

I was most intrigued by the edible straws that she presented to us alongside other products they collaborated with. A straw made out of sugar was never something I imagined was possible. A few other ideas/ inventions caught my eye such as the plastic bricks used to make walls which could potentially be used in real life to make sure people in poverty can find a cheap and sustainable place to live. I see big things coming from that idea already which I hope does happen eventually. The way plastic was used to sort of bind or glue pieces of objects together to make chairs and so much more, was actually one of the coolest ways I have ever seen plastic be reused. I would love to learn more about that project in particular and see where it goes from here. Something I really liked was the way she spoke about how Precious Plastic Shanghai evolved and taught others as well as gain knowledge from them too. Seeing people progress from reusing plastic to going further and reusing other materials too was really interesting to see even though we are focusing on plastic at the moment. The biomaterials that were used to create cups that could be food afterward was an example of that. Creating one-time use products that don’t harm the environment but instead give to it is really nice to see and a breath of fresh air. There were so many products and items I never thought I would see be created out of plastic so it was a fun presentation overall and I actually am inspired to create something unique, interesting but also useful for the projects I have for this class.