Practical business solutions making plastic waste reusable

Plasticity Pacific – practical business solutions making plastic waste reusable

The discussion on practical business solutions to get plastics out of the environment and re-purposed is coming to the South Pacific. The 11th Global Plasticity Forum, Plasticity Pacific, will be held on 13 March, at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Suva, Fiji.

Eight million tonnes of plastic waste enter the world’s ocean every year, causing an estimated USD$13Bn1 worth of damage to the ecosystem. This plastic pollution threatens the tourism industry, which accounts for more than 40%2 of the GDP of some South Pacific Island Nations and Territories.

“This is not a cleanup campaign. Plasticity speaks directly to the business world, introducing practical sustainability models, and showcasing new business opportunities for transforming plastic waste into valuable second-life resources,” said Plasticity Founder, (and recognised U.N. Climate Hero), Doug Woodring.

Plasticity was launched in 2012 at the Rio +20 Earth Summit, and has been hosted in Hong Kong, New York, Lisbon, Shanghai, London, Dallas, Los Angeles, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur.

“Delegates come away with a profound understanding of the scale of opportunities that this problem presents. That’s when people get really excited.

“The key to our success is collaboration. Plasticity brings together key stakeholders from all aspects of the value chain - innovators, designers, entrepreneurs, large companies- and gives them the opportunity to take part in the larger global conversation about waste management and resource recovery,” said Mr Woodring.

Plasticity Director, Trish Hyde, said, “Plasticity’s forward–thinking and business-focussed workshops are already generating exciting business opportunities, instead of just relying on government regulation and consumer and community education and action.

“Plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue. Its damage has social and economic impacts capable of crippling the vital Pacific tourism and fishing industries. But we can prevent this, with smart collaborative business and government partnerships. Plasticity Pacific is the forum for this solutions-based discussion,” she said.

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