EarlyBirds’ role in global effort on plastic waste management and circular economy - Kalkine Media

Highlights

• Only a small fraction of the total plastic waste generated is being recycled, which calls for an immediate corrective action
• EarlyBirds acknowledges the problems the world is facing due to plastic waste and provides solutions
• Innovation maps on varied technology themes can help businesses and governments find solutions to many problems

Plastic waste has emerged as one of the biggest concerns, with world leaders worried over how to tackle the issue in the wake of growing environmental concerns like rising temperatures and polluted water bodies. Kris Poria of EarlyBirds has also spoken on the issue and cited the Paris Agreement-style treaty that was agreed upon in Nairobi to deal with the menace of plastic pollution. Time has come for organisations and governments to adopt new innovations to meet the desired goals.

EarlyBirds has been created as a global platform that promotes innovations and accelerates adoption of new solutions by private and public companies. Can the platform provide ways to deal with the plastic waste problem? Let us find out.

Plastic waste

In a recent statement, Kris Poria has spoken about "unbelievable" numbers related to the issue -- 400 million tons of plastic waste is generated on an annual basis, and this figure can be 1,100 million tons by the middle of this century. The conventional approach to dealing with such waste includes mechanical or chemical recycling of waste or processing it back to basic feedstock. Poria has commented on how recycling is not having the desired impact, with a circular economy still evading us.

Even though world leaders have shown their eagerness in dealing with the problem -- a Paris Agreement-style global treaty has been adopted -- elimination of plastic waste needs more calculated efforts, simply because a large portion of this waste is ending up on shorelines.

Image source: Pixabay.com; Data source: Company website

EarlyBirds' solutions

The platform hosts ‘innovation maps’ concerned with multiple technologies including new and feasible solutions to the plastic waste recycling problem. EarlyBirds' maps, and programs like Challenger and Explorer have become popular in providing short term to longer term technological solutions to a variety of needs like introducing automation and artificial intelligence in industrial processes. The maps provide industry capability insights and further collaboration. These maps can also help with achieving the circular economy model.

The EarlyBirds ecosystem brings organisations (private or public) and governments closer to small or large-scale innovators. The former can adopt the solutions of the latter to usher in a positive change in the way the world is dealing with plastic waste management.

Solution providers can use the 'Innovator' section, while solution seekers can use the 'Early Adopter' section of EarlyBirds' platform.