From lecture and Precious Plastics workshop, we learned from Professor Marcela and Adele that the type of plastics that can be recycled are types #1, #2, #4 and #5, however, the best would still be #2. Adele was able to show us the different types of plastic products that Precious Plastics were able to make. I was surprised how they were able to create many different kinds of textures, using the same plastic, and just changing the method of melting and moulding the plastic.
When ground up into pellets, these plastics are able to be melted and transformed into whatever we want — in our case, we used these plastics to make the base of the stool. For this, we needed a lot of plastic. To do this, we had to first sort and cut up the plastic into smaller sections. Then, this would be placed into the shredder to become plastic pellets. After waxing down the mould, we placed the pellets in, stacking them past the top of the mould. This was because as the plastic melts, it will decrease in size. After taking it out of the oven, the plastic must be pressed down immediately to take the shape of the mould whilst still warm, then given time to cool down.
Besides this, we also used pellets under the heat press. This resulted in flat pieces of plastic, similar to the ones Adele demonstrated to us earlier in lecture. Although they came out a bit too early and didn’t full flatten and form, I was still very impressed by how this could now be something usable.
Readings:
The text “Social Innovation in China” emphasises on the importance in making businesses and NGOs who are making innovative, positive social impact products be more scalable. It is through this that we are able to reform the way we produce and consume. This is especially so in a country like China where the economy is still developing and growing at a phenomenal speed. Governments have the opportunity to easily implement regulation and reforms in order to encourage these social innovations and educate people on the importance of this whilst they are still developing. From just living in China and seeing the Trash Classification system being put into play, I believe that if the Chinese government wanted to, they could easily implement regulations that would force companies to think about sustainability. It’s just a matter of waiting until they start prioritising the environment over economic growth.
The text “Multiple-Helix Collaboration for the Development of a Circular Economy”
For this “circular economy” to develop, the 4 stakeholders: government, NGOs, consumers and companies all have to collaborate and work together to create positive social impact. NGOs and companies must strive to create innovative products, and not just profit. Governments would then need to aid them in scaling and promoting these NGOs through subsidies and regulations, which would then help influence consumer choices.
Beach Clean Up:
When we first walked into the park, I was a bit confused as to what we were doing there. Everything seemed so clean already. However, it was only when we walked to the edge, towards the seaside, did we see the piles of trash. Large pieces of styrofoam, plastic bottles, cigarettes and clothing scattered the rocks.
After an orientation and debriefing from Green Initiatives, we were divided into small groups, each collecting a classification of trash. Me and Joyce were in charge of collecting residual trash. This meant we collected various small pieces of plastics, bottle caps and a good number of shoes. Although we only picked up trash for less than 2 hours, we found it to be very interesting, yet a very exhaustive activity as we were forced to face the consequences of human ignorance and lack of care for what we consume.
I’ve seen piles of trash my entire life — whether it be on streets of Manila or in the AB throwing away my 外卖。However, it’s a different situation having to pick up trash and sort them as it really emphasised how this concept of “single-use” is a complete lie and delusion. Nothing is single use as it still exists and doesn’t simply disappear. Every single piece of item that we produce, whether it be a shoe or lighters, is going to be thrown away eventually and eventually, it will make its way back to us.
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