BLUE BARREL PROJECT

Developed under Plastic Twist's Greek Pilot

Description of the idea

In the framework of the Blue Barrel Project a Social Cooperative Business (SCB) will be established, in order to tackle with the problem of plastic pollution along the west coast of the Thermaikos Gulf, near Thessaloniki, Greece, largely connected with the activity of mussel cultivation in the area. Around 80% of the Greek mussel production takes place along the west coast of the Thermaikos Gulf, thanks to the ecosystemic potential of the Axios Delta protected areas. Unfortunately, this very important productive activity, involving 147 mussel farmers and an even larger network of people working with them, encompasses a heavy “tax” on environment, as it pollutes the marine environment and the coastline of the Thermaikos Gulf. The SCB will try to create synergies among the stakeholders, create work and financial benefits for the local community, as well as to accelerate awareness and initiative among the mussel farmers and at schools. It will also try to encourage voluntary actions, by using the Plastic Twist tools and by giving value to the discarded plastic trash.

The challenges of the target market and/or target audience the idea solves

The problem is due to the infinite number of plastic nets to be found at the sea bottom and on the beaches and is also due to the typical HDPE blue barrels used for the mussel cultivation. As far as the polyethylene nets are concerned, the lack of awareness and also the lack of disposal solutions, leads mussel farmers and their workers to discard them in the environment or burn them. Still, there is no known method for their recycling. As for the blue barrels, they get detached from the mussel cultivation lines during storms and get dispersed along the beaches. As they are costly, the mussel farmers try to retrieve and reuse them. Many of the barrels are damaged and cannot be used anymore, but they still have value, as they can be recycled. To make things worse, due to the currents of the gulf, large quantities of trash are being washed up on the coastline, impacting touristic and non-touristic beaches. Members of the local communities are protesting for years for the ugly looks of the beaches, whereas there is also impact on marine life. The Social Cooperative Business will be the “bridge” between stakeholders involved in this highly impacting environmental issue with the aim to clean the beaches, collect plastic trash, research and educate local population. Today in a way the blue barrels symbolize pollution along the Thermaikos coast. The Blue Barrel Project will try to turn their negative presence into a positive message towards revaluing wasted plastic.

The uniqueness of the idea and the Unique Selling Points of it

The idea aims to reduce plastic pollution along the coastal zone of the Axios Delta National Park, in the western Thermaikos gulf, where all the involved stakeholders and other members of the local community will work together along with the industry for the same goal of applying sustainable best fishing and cultivating practices, while creating mussel farm barrels from the wasted barrels and other discarded plastic trash. Additionally, the aim is to incorporate the used plastic into a circular economy business model where everyone will benefit in different ways:

• the mussel farmers will buy and reuse the barrels in lower cost;
• the plastic industry will fulfill the European strategy for plastics by finding new ways to recycle and reconstruct the barrels;
• the locals will take advantage of the different ways of reusing the barrels, since they can be used in other cases too (fire safety, other products, etc,);
• the school kids will be educated concerning the cycle of reduce, reuse, reconstruct, upcycle, recycle;
• the mussel farmers will also ameliorate their products reputation locally and nationally through proven social responsibility.

The municipalities will have managed to apply a system which empowers the recycling, upcycling, reusing and reconstructing, which will add value to them as pioneering. Finally, the local community will get rid of such a large scale plastic pollution which degrades the environment and creates problems in touristic activities, thus solving the big problem of “what to do with all the plastic”.

The target market or target audience of the idea

The local fishermen and barrel manufacturers will be integrated in order to work in synergy in the identification of the circular process from waste collection to barrel production. In this line, it will be crucial to assess whether the mussel farming nets can be used in the recycling or upcycling process and the involvement of the academy for research purposes will be highly important. In addition, the presence of schools will be paramount to disseminate best practices for sustainable fishing and mussel farming during the collection of the plastic waste during the clean ups.

Business/Scale and Impact

The job of the Social Cooperative will be to:

• Create synergies with the mussel farmers, in order to involve them in the process of keeping the marine environment clean. The farmers will be asked to collect and give to the SC the damaged barrels. In return, they will receive tokens in the PT system, and they will be able to buy new barrels made by recycled plastic.
• Research on the possibilities to recycle the polyethylene nets used for the mussel cultivations, which are now being thrown away or burned, in cooperation with the academic community or pioneering private companies.
• Collect waste from the beach with the help of volunteers, schools and SC members, while educating them on the problem.
• Clean and recycle the recovered plastic materials in its premises, based in a village centrally located along the Thermaikos Gulf coast. The recycled plastic will be sold to companies producing plastic items and barrels, whereas part of it will be directed to dissemination activities or cooperation with artists.
• Realize educational programs at schools through P-Twist. Among other activities, the pupils will be asked to bring used plastic packages and will see them upcycled to toys with the help of a 3D printer and patterns downloaded from the Plastic Twist platform. Children will also gather Plastic Tokens by taking part in clean ups.
• Cooperate with artists to produce art and fashion items by plastic trash. Throw a yearly “trashion” show, a catwalk with costumes made by plastic trash.

The PlasticTwist tools that the idea uses

Plastic Heroes: Children will play the game in schools, earn Plastic Tokens and use them to print Plastic useful products for schools such as liter bins, boards, baskets etc., trying to find useful long-term product solutions that will not end up in the ocean.

Plastric Wallet: Different events like “Trashion Shows” (trash meets fashion) will be organized, where all volunteers will be reward with Plastic Tokens.

Marketplace: Using tokens earned through the participation in clean ups, children and volunteers will earn 3D-printed toys and available items from the Marketplace. Also the volunteers who collect the barrels and other plastic fishing gear can use the marketplace to exchange the materials for tokens and then buy different products from the marketplace. The makers can use the platform for demonstrating and selling their new products made out of plastic marine litter.

Crowdsourcing: Through the crowdsourcing the Trashion Shows can become famous. The aim of the Trashion shows is to demonstrate the plastic marine litters as clothes and giving an extraordinary approach on the plastic marine pollution emphasizing and spreading the meaning and the importance of clean ups, collection, reusing, recycling, upcycling and reconstructing activities.

Type of (recycled) materials used

Mostly HDPE plastic barrels, pieces of plastic rope (LDPE, PA), and typical beach plastic trash.

MIND THE PLASTIC

Developed under Plastic Twist's Swiss Pilot

Description of the idea

Mind the plastic an early stage start-up collaborating with food producers to improve their packaging. We set up logistics for packaging return, we design and create new products from this resource and lastly, we innovate the packaging solution next time packaging should be purchased. Our aim is to reduce plastic waste and improve resource efficiency in the food industry. In our pilot from "vegetable soup to vegetable plant" soup cups are reused as planting pots for local garden centers.

The challenges of the target market and/or target audience the idea solves

It allows food producers to take responsibility for their packaging.

The uniqueness of the idea and the Unique Selling Points of it

Mind the Plastic offers individual solutions for more circular packaging. From reverse logistics, to recycled products created to the needs and market of the food producer.

The target market or target audience of the idea

Food producers and customers

Business/Scale and Impact

The circular business model behind mind the plastic is a combination of a consultancy service for logistics and best practice packaging with actual product design and manufacturing. And this could be scaled, for example to spaces where many people consume a lot of plastics, think about all the foods stands in our train stations.

The PlasticTwist tools that the idea uses

The idea would make use of the Marketplace.

Type of (recycled) materials used

Mainly polypropylene (PP) plastics (No 5).

RECYCLED PLASTIC JEWELLERY BY XANDER KOSTROMA

Developed under Plastic Twist's Swiss Pilot

Description of the idea

The idea is to make fashion jewellery from discarded HDPE bottles combining these elements with 925 Sterling Silver and/or hypoallergenic steel as finishing components.

The challenges of the target market and/or target audience the idea solves

Xander’s idea negates fast fashion completely. His jewellery plays into the consumers conscience when it comes to their purchasing power. Xander saw a shift in the market moving more towards sustainable fashion where he was able to then create a bridge between guilt-free shopping and looking good.

The uniqueness of the idea and the Unique Selling Points of it

Each style is limited by the amount of plastic that is collected at any one time. As the collection is dictated by the plastic found and used, it means that each piece produced is 100% unique. Xander understood that consumers wanted to express their own individual style, and felt some resistance when it came to “looking like everyone else”. One of the main advantages of his collection is that although each item of jewellery will be similar the next, no two pieces of jewellery will ever be the same.

The target market or target audience of the idea

Anyone who is interested in sustainable, ethical or circular fashion.

Business/Scale and Impact

Since 2015 Xander has been working as Self-employed. He launched his own name label Xander Kostroma® in 2018 which he manages from Ticino. His company (Xander Kostroma Fashion Ltd.) is an active member of The Living Wage Foundation (UK) which agrees to pay above the National Minimum Wage to all his employees. The company is certified as vegan by PETa and is on the path to becoming a circular business through his recycled fashion.

The PlasticTwist tools that the idea uses

Xander had full studio access at FabLab in Lucerne where he used the: shredder, injection machine, laser cutter and a custom-built hot plate to make his jewellery.

Type of (recycled) materials used

HDPE (No 2) plastic such as shampoo, conditioner and cleaning product bottles.

PLASTIC PLAYGROUNDS: FROM FISHING NETS TO A NEW SPORT, BEACHATON!

Developed under Plastic Twist's Dutch Pilot

Description of the idea

640.000 tons of fishing nets enter the ocean every year killing millions of marine animals like turtles, seals, dolphins and many more. Plastic Playgrounds is creating value to this plastic waste by re-purposing and recycling the nets. How? By creating a new sport which we called: Beachaton! Beachaton is the first fully circular sport in the world that only uses waste streams to make the equipment for the sport. Beachaton exist for the one sole purpose to clean the oceans from this deadly type of plastic pollution. Still it does not stop there, because the balls we use will be made out of another waste stream: recycled tennis balls. Playing Beachaton will clean up the oceans but also showcase and promote circular processes within sports and sport events. We will start up the infrastructure to bring fishing nets waste into the circular economy by recycling this waste into Beachaton paddles and Beachaton nets. These products we will sell to consumers of which 5% percent of the profit goes to cleaning the oceans. But first of all with selling an experience by organizing a ‘Dare to Beach Different Cleanup Tour’. We will organize cleanups to clean the beaches and coastal waters and directly recycle ‘hands on’ the plastic waste we find into Beachaton paddles with a mobile recycling machine. The paddles we will then use to play a tournament of Beachaton! Recycling fishing nets will never be as fun! Plastic Playgrounds, Net’s do it!

The challenges of the target market and/or target audience the idea solves

Fishing nets in the Netherlands were first exported to China, but since they have closed their doors for plastic waste from Europe the fishing nets remain at the Port of Rotterdam where they are collected. The infrastructure to process and recycle the fishing nets is not yet complete, so we have to close the loop by creating the high value products we developed from fishing net waste. The main challenge will be setting up the recycling infrastructure. Reducing fishing net pollution should be a concern for everybody because the Oceans are one of our most important ecosystems. Still 60 % of the population is dependent on food they get from the oceans. So all the fish that are being caught within ghost nets cannot be used as a food source. Also cargo traffic and water recreation are affected by nets because boat propellers can get stuck in the nets. It's estimated that the economic damage is around 200 million euro per year.

The uniqueness of the idea and the Unique Selling Points of it

The uniqueness of the idea is that we invented a complete new sport that is purely created to recycle fishing nets and clean the ocean. Beach cleanups are happening a lot worldwide and with our project will give these cleanups a new dimension. Now cleanups will not only bring people together creating awareness, but also show case ‘hands on’ plastic recycling into a new product, a Beachaton paddle, that can directly be used for a fun and healthy Beachaton tournament. At first we focus on producing Beachaton paddles, but we can easily expand our range of products. We will focus on other products used in sports and games. For example shin protection from plastic waste for poor Indian children who play hockey or cricket. The type of plastic fishing nets are made from, HDPE (No 2), is the most common used plastic in the world, so next to fishing net we can also easily expand to other plastic waste streams. The possibilities are endless! The beach game from which Beachaton derived is one of the most popular summer sports on the beach in the world. We only gave it an extra competitive twist. So many people will know the game and will be curious to try out the new variant. And we will be the first on the market making the paddles out of recycled materials, so in that sense the Beachaton paddles are an unique product with a unique design.

The target market or target audience of the idea

Our target audience to buy our product will be consumers that love to go to the beach in summer and care for the oceans. Or.. consumers that never heard about the plastic problem and just like to play a nice game of Beachaton because it’s a hip new sport. We also want to reach consumers indirectly by presenting Beachaton paddles as a great circular give away product for companies in support of clean oceans. The target market will be (sport) events like the Olympics who want to make their event more sustainable and circular. Or any company or organization that wants to buy an Beachaton experience to contribute to a cleaner ocean by participating in a cleanup and a fun Beachaton tournament. But also schools for educational purposes and don’t forget sport associations, beach festivals and other beach related companies. They will love to organize a Beachaton tournament to keep the beach and the coastal waters clean from plastic (fishing) waste. We expect to reach a very broad target audience.

Business/Scale and Impact

We will produce the Beachaton paddles to sell to consumers. And we will offer and sell an experience by organizing cleanups. In our first year 2020, an Olympic year, we want to produce 10.000 orange Beachaton paddles for the Netherlands to sell or give away to consumers. on top of that we will organize five cleanups for our ‘Dare To Beach Different’ Cleanup Tour of which one location will be at the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Japan has the biggest fishing industry worldwide and Beachaton will showcase circularity and sustainability in sports. The fishing industry is one of the biggest economies in the world. This means there is a lot of fishing net waste that needs to be processed and recycled. Within Europe there is a new law being implemented in which producers of fishing nets will be responsible for recycling fishing net waste (EPR). Now there are only two recycling companies and about 30 initiatives that have produced products from fishing nets. Regarding the amount of fishing nets being used within Europe experts say there are a lot of opportunities within this sector to scale up the activities. With our initiative we hope to have an impact by giving value to the waste so fisherman will think twice to abandon or discard their nets. We will contribute to activities to cleanup lost ghost nets from the oceans and create awareness for this problem. Fishing nets can be recycled and the oceans will become cleaner.

The PlasticTwist tools that the idea uses

The Plastic Twist tools we were given helped us to develop our business plan and product. We were able to get in contact with experts, potential customers and financial suppliers who gave us advise how to proceed with our concept. So on every aspect of setting up a start-up we were helped and pushed forward to get the best result. The challenge, co-organised by PlasticTwist, we were part of and in the end won gave us the opportunity to continue with our project and realise it into a real start-up.

Type of (recycled) materials used

Discarded plastic fishing nets made from HDPE (No 2).

REWARDING THE COLLABORATIVE REUSE OF PLASTIC PACKAGING IN FRESH FOOD VALUE CHAIN

Developed under Plastic Twist's Turkish Pilot

Description of the idea
Changing the shopping behaviour where the consumption restrictions will be defined by the consumer needs rather than the packaging needs. The household consumer will be encouraged to break all ties with the packaging and by carrying storage pouches to the retail points rather than go to the food shops. Thus, this unpackaged shopping method will be triggered by the consumer with all reusable packaging types. Consequently, Token will be an incentive or rewarding system to support this on a Blockchain based marketplace where all the process will be open and traceable.
The stakeholders and relevant parties in the system which is planned are; Public Authorities, Producer cooperatives and communities, Associations, and NGOs, Retail and service sector associations, Designers, Consumer communities, Fresh and value-added manufacturers, Local authorities for audit and legal regulations, Legal and administrative legislators, Consumer (monitoring the unity of NGOs and associations), Laboratories that will carry out tests and analyses for ecological transformation, Packaging and technologies sector stakeholders.
The initiator of the idea is Sinan Tüzer, the founder of Balya Organik, fresh food product marketer and supported by Leyla Arsan, the innovation consultant and CEO of TAGES. Sinan and Leyla met in PlasticTwISTanbul workshop at Istanbul organised by TAGES as one of the Plastic Twist events on June 12, 2019 where Julie Harboe from Lucerne University Switzerland gave insights and made people to think about plastic and how to change business into circular one.

The challenges of the target market and/or target audience the idea solves

The food sector, which is at the heart of the rapid consumption, generates the most plastic waste. Products from initial production Packaging to which they are taken to wholesalers or intermediate distributors is often turned into waste. Re-use is the fastest and most successful method in food sector in all points from production to consumption. It will also save energy and resources spent on transformation. In food sector, the products change packaging at least five times from production to final use. Packaging that are being transferred from major manufacturers to distributors and to wholesalers are then repackaged into smaller ones for the use in retail and Horeka channels. These are OPP or PVC type plastic packaging. These disposable packaging are collected in recycling centers and are disposed of directly by the end user. Recycled products reach 30% loss of waste products. 5% of its loss goes to the water resources and to the seas. It is significant that 5% of it is burned in places where recycling cannot be tracked. Packaging made to sell to wholesaler intermediate distributors or retailers to consumers can be served to consumers by containers, chrome containers, glass containers, plastic containers, or similar materials from retail points where zero waste centers or unpackaged products are sold. This will ensure that packaging containers and chrome glass containers are returned to the manufacturer's wholesaler and main dispensers for reuse.

The uniqueness of the idea and the Unique Selling Points of it

The use of Plastic Token will be an incentive for the producers, packaging producers, logistics and transportation companies, cooperatives and final consumers where in each reuse/refill of the plastic packaging of the product, they will earn token as an advantage for other shoppings. The value chain will create a circularity of the plastic, plastic will be used less and all parties will gain. This will motivate designers to design alternative packaging too.

The target market or target audience of the idea

Organic food and fresh food sellers, Greenhouses where the fresh food is produced, packaging sellers, logistic and transport companies, municipalities providing the land, producer cooperatives, final consumer.

Business/Scale and Impact

The business will be created directly on the fresh food product value chain processes by using the PlasticTwist marketplace and adapted token applications. This will be an initiative of Balya Organic to be spread out to others as well. For the scalability, the support of cooperatives and municipalities is of primary importance. Plastic packaging companies will be consulted by circular designers and since logistic companies and plastic package manufacturers will change their way of contributing to the value chain, new business for circular economy and industrial design consultants will be created too. This will be scaled mostly on the consumer side.

The PlasticTwist tools that the idea uses

The Marketplace and the PlasticToken adapted for the fresh food packaging value chain.

Type of (recycled) materials used

OPP or PVC type plastic packaging.