Tag Archives: plastic waste

Nev Hyman: Shelter From The Storm

June 21, 2016Full ShowClimate Change, nev house, nev hyman, plastic waste, pollution, shelterAlex Wise

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Many people living in Pacific nations, like Vanuatu, Indonesia, and the Philippines, struggle to find adequate shelter, a challenge compounded by the elevated risk of structure-destroying cyclones. Meanwhile, miles off their coasts, plastic waste floats in the ocean, contaminating the marine food chain and threatening the world’s largest ecosystem. Our guest this week is Nev Hyman, an avid surfer who saw these two seemingly unrelated problems and devised a solution. His company, Nev House, uses recycled plastic to build low-cost, fire- and cyclone-resistant, solar- and water sanitation-equipped houses for people living in developing nations. He tells us about how Nev House partners with charities to actualize their business model, how he feels the emergency shelter system should be streamlined, and how this small company will upcycle 3 million tons of plastic waste over the next four years.

Post-Plastic Entrepreneurs

December 17, 2013Full Showentrepreneur, environment, oceans, plastic, plastic bottles, plastic waste, waterAlex Wise

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Can you think of two everyday materials with a worse environmental rep than Styrofoam and plastic bottles? From production through disposal, these things produce toxic gasses, are major culprits in our single-use disposable culture, and are rapidly invading our oceans and destroying marine food chains. This week’s guests on Sea Change Radio are each working on eco-friendly alternatives to these environmental villains.

First, we hear from Eben Bayer, one of the founders of Ecovative, a company that has developed a mushrom-based alternative to extruded polystyrene foam (more commonly known by its copyrighted name, Styrofoam). He tells us how Ecovative’s biologically-based material is replacing packing materials, insulation and maybe soon food storage containers that were previously the exclusive domain of polluting, non-biodegradable stuff. Next, host Alex Wise talks to Rick Eye, CEO of Blue Can Pure Water, a company offering an alternative to those ubiquitous plastic water bottles: on-the-go water in aluminum cans. He explains why it has taken so long for this much better idea to spring up, and discusses how he’s doing his part to reduce plastic waste.

The Plastic Purge: Beth Terry

August 28, 2012Full Showplastic, plastic wasteAlex Wise

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The average American generates between 88 and 120 pounds of plastic waste per year. Imagine what it would mean for you to cut that down almost entirely. What lifestyle changes would you have to make? This week’s guest on Sea Change Radio asked herself that same question and then tried to answer it – embarking on a mission to reduce her plastic use as much as possible and tell the world how she did it. In her new book, “Plastic Free: How I Kicked The Plastic Habit and You Can Too” author and accountant Beth Terry provides more than an instructional manual; she illustrates how conscious behavior can blossom into advocacy for wider change.