AsianScientist (Mar. 17, 2020) – The tragedy of single-use plastics is not so much their environmental footprint—you’d have to use your cotton tote about 7,000 times for it to have the impact of the same number of plastic bags—but the fact that they persist in the environment, first lodging themselves in the bellies of birds and then finding their way into humans as microplastics. By some estimates, each plastic bag is used for an average of just 12 minutes, but can hang around in the environment for more than 500 years.
But what if plastics and other single-use materials could be melted down and re-formed into brand new objects? That is exactly what MINIWIZ hopes to find out, shares Mr. Tan Szue Hann, managing director of the company dedicated to closing the gap between eco-consciousness and sustainable action. To do so, MINIWIZ set up TRASHLAB in 2008 with the belief that in trash lies the promise of a greener world.
More recently, the company has also launched TRASHPRESSO and a smaller version called miniTRASHPRESSO, both of which are mobile recycling plants that can be set up directly at a user’s premise. The TRASHPRESSO system can heat and mold clean waste products into usable upcycled goods such as bowls, coasters or tiles; while the miniTRASHPRESSO is a more compact and user-friendly update which is also more energy efficient so that it has a smaller carbon footprint.
MINIWIZ’s mobile recycling plants bring the recycling process closer to home and away from factories. The hope is to create a circular economy whereby waste produced does not end up being discarded but is instead put back into the production cycle to be upcycled into usable goods, Tan said.
“The challenge we face is: how does that matter to the individual? Many people think the problem is bigger than they are and what they can do won’t make a difference. But I think if we can use goods made of upcycled materials, that’s a good start because the market is driven by consumers,” explained Tan.
Discussing the challenges faced in the push for sustainability, Tan also notes that consumers and firms may also be hesitant to pay more for goods made of waste. However, Tan believes that paying for sustainability is an investment into the future of the planet. By processing waste into new materials, the need to mine for new materials is reduced.
MINIWIZ is continuing their exploration of the potential of trash and is looking at different materials beyond plastics, including glass, leather seats from decommissioned aircrafts and red packets.
“Here’s a little call to action. Think about where you’re buying something from and where it actually comes from. What sort of resources are being put into generating something you buy and think if you could actually find something that’s been upcycled. That would be doing your bit to save the world,” Tan said.
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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine.
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