Executive summary
Introduction
I would like to thank the Mayor of the Appalachaville for the provided opportunity to present an idea aimed to solve the problem of pollution and represent tools to increase sustainable behavior in the town, as this became actual and important topic for the Appalachaville. All the people with whom I worked and communicated during my innovation process organized an enjoyable and collaborative working environment for the productive working process, sharing their experience and knowledge. Nowadays the problem of waste management became one of the major aspects of pollution in cities and in the whole world.
Gap in Marketplace
Pollution is a global problem and it is responsibility of each person to make a positive impact to change situation for the better conditions. One of the biggest problem of waste management is usage of plastic in production for food and water packaging. Every day people throw away millions of tons of plastic waste products and Appalachaville is not an exception. Based on research average daily amount of plastic waste from only one city in the US is about 10 tons of plastic! (Hasselberger) Many birds and animals are suffering from the existence of plastic in the ocean. Today’s applied waste control measures are not functioning well and it is extremely hard to encourage people not to buy products with plastic packaging. Nowadays there is no positive definite solution offered to the packaging factories representatives that can replace basic plastic usage. Many years people and animals have been suffering from the air and ocean pollution. The problem can be solved only in case of applying different method of packaging production, as it is hard to control and educate society to buy products in plastic packaging.
In accordance to that, I would like to represent the idea of easy and fast-degraded plastic material to be used in production of packaging.
Methodology
The methodology used to generate the idea is based on three stages:
Data collecting that includes problem research and analysis of the current situation;
Discovering the core issue of plastic waste management – research of chemical composition and the problem of degrading;
Generation of new chemical composition for plastic packaging for easy and fast degrading.
During idea designing, I have learnt many aspects of chemistry and the effects of the different components that can be harmful for the environment.
Idea Presentation
The idea to increase sustainable behavior is based on usage of Biodegradable material for any plastic packaging that contain red algae powder and water. All the materials are 100% natural, so it makes safer to drink and eat from such packaging. (Pullen) During data research, it was found out that plastic decomposes when the packaging is empty; however, it takes approximately 1000 year for it to decompose. In addition to that, the problem is that 50% of plastic is used only once and after thrown away, billions of plastic is thrown away around the world. After many experiment with different chemical composition to be proposed, it was decided to offer Biodegradable material for the plastic packaging production that can be easily and faster decomposed when it is empty.
The main value proposition of the biodegradable material is based on 100% usage of natural components. Red algae powder and simple water has no any harmful effect for the human body as well as for animals and birds. However, what can grab you more is that the period of decomposing can become up to several years less. In the laboratory, I set the series of trials and experiments on the decomposing process in order to analyze the results. After scientific research was complete there was found that the substance left after decomposing and drying the biomaterial can be used for the drainage system or in construction industry as it has similar features to ciment. In order to make sure that the process of decomposing was made in a sufficient way, several experiments under different conditions were held, with higher and lower temperature, pressure and etc. The result of experiment proved the evidence of the reliability on materials and 100% environmental friendly influence of the components.
The process of the implementation of the idea can be described in several steps. Firstly, the idea proposition that includes spreading the message on the current waste management situation and detailed explanation of the causes and the consequences of the problem of plastic waste pollution. Secondly, meeting and collaboration with production factories representatives with distribution of explanatory notes and case presentations. Thirdly, the implementation process of the usage of Biodegradable material instead of basic plastic being used for packaging.
One of the main benefit of adopting new components in packaging industry is minimization of air, ocean and town pollution with additional competitive advantage of faster decomposing period. Second positive advantage of decomposed Biodegradable material is possibility to reuse decomposed material in construction industry and agriculture. The value created by implication of Biodegradable material would be definitely highly appreciated by the society as brings positive change to the life of every citizen, business and governmental industries. There are several positive advantages indicated in usage of Biodegradable material such as: minimization of polluted area, easy and faster recyclable material, reuse of material in other industries, saving the economy and the most important one is increased sustainability.
Conclusion and Next Steps
There is prepared action plan for the implication process of the Biodegradable material within packaging industry. Each step has a duration and timeline according to real timeframe. The first step in implementation process involves mass media, social media tools and official correspondence that will bring the message to the society, business and government. The second step is very important and includes collaboration with factories and packaging production departments where the process of adaption of the Biodegradable materials will be experienced and examined. The third step includes juridical support of the material implementation and continuous monitoring of usage of Biodegradable material.
Appendix
Works cited
Lynn Hasselberger. 22 Facts About Plastic Pollution (And 10 Things We Can Do About It. The Green Divas. April 7th, 2014. Web. April 2nd , 2016.
Kate Pullen. Biodegradable and recyclable packaging material. Web. April 2nd , 2016.
