A Regenerative Future for Plastic Waste | Ep. 017
What if the solution to the plastic crisis isn’t just about recycling bins and consumer guilt, but reframing our mindset? In this episode, Queenie sits down with Sam Smith (@themagictoolbus) to explore plastic waste, recycling myths, and practical sustainability through a systems lens.
Sam’s research into plastic recycling, solar power, and community-scale solutions, has led him to one important conclusion: hope. There is a solution to the plastic problem that can start without governments or large institutions. If you’re interested in plastic pollution, sustainable living, low-waste systems, and how to take meaningful action in an imperfect system, this episode has you covered.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introducing the plastic waste problem
06:10 Rethinking plastic systematically
10:12 The science of plastic
16:51 Myths about plastic
19:46 The science of plastic cont.
29:11 Re-systemizing plastic waste
52:33 Solving the plastic problem
55:25 Solar energy literacy
1:04:37 We don’t have to wait for the government
1:07:41 Ideal visions for the future
1:12:12 Using plastic at the end of its cycle
1:23:27 Your actions matter
Dive deeper: Learn more about plastics and their polycarbonate molecular structure with these guides linked here and here.
Sam Smith is an open-source ecosystem developer, artist, and insurrectionary ecologist, exploring the intersection of regenerative systems design and open-source tech. Connect with him on Instagram and YouTube. You can also find him on Patreon, SoundCloud, and his website.
Stay connected: @newhumansfornewearth on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok & Facebook. newhumansfornewearth.com.
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