Ellen MacArthur, Overview of Plastics Recycling in the US, and New Logo!

Hi and welcome to my third newsletter! This message goes to my first 16 subscribers with a big Thank you for signing up. Here are the prior newsletters, if you did not receive them (or check your Spam folder!).

I welcome your feedback as I embark on my journey to learn about the environment as well as online publishing.

Razvan

Ellen McArthur

For every newsletter I will find an animal, plant or famous person that inspired or intrigued me. It is a recognition, a moment of reflection and gratitude to living creatures.

I started listening to the Association of Plastic Recyclers podcast "Recycled Content” , and learned about “the Ellen MacArthur Foundation” and its efforts to promote a circular economy. I became intrigued, who is/was Ellen MacArthur?

Born in fact on this day, July 8, 1976 in England, Ellen MacArthur became famous in 2005, after breaking the record for sailing solo around the in the shortest time ever: 71 days.

After this amazing accomplishment, she became interested in learning how the world economy works. She drew parallels between her adventures on the high seas having to rely on finite resources for her trip, and humanity using up Earth’s non-renewable resources. She also realized that much of the materials we all use end up as waste, after a chain of events and consumption, as opposed to being recycled.

Perhaps in a nod to, or inspired by, her circumnavigation of the globe, she then became and advocate and avid supporter of a circular economy, one designed to keep materials in use, eliminate waste and regenerate natural systems. She launched The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting this cause worldwide. An admirable idea!

According to their website, “the circular economy is based on three principles, driven by design:

Eliminate waste and pollution
Circulate products and materials (at their highest value)
Regenerate natureUnderpinned by a transition to renewable energy and materials, the circular economy is a resilient system that is good for business, people, and the environment.”

Mindset

“Knowledge is not power … it is only potential power. It becomes power only when, and if, it is organised into definite plans of action and directed to a definite end.” - Napoleon Hill

This is a reminder of the dual purpose of OneBeautifulPlanet.org: advancing knowledge/ education and taking/ supporting action. Both are necessary. One without the other is either insufficient, or outright dangerous. We must learn about how the world works, and about our impact on it AND take regular and consistent action to protect and improve it.

In the Works

On the gaining and sharing knowledge front, I wrote an article on the Overview of Plastics Recycling in the US. Check it out!

Sun, Jul 09

Overview of Plastics Recycling in The US

Market forces, what works and what doesn’t, policy initiatives such as minimum PCR (post-consumer recycled content) thresholds and EPR (extended producer responsibility)

On the Action front, I did two litter cleanups (pics from one of them below) and started the Plastic Free July challenge, which began in Australia in 2011. It is now a global movement in more than 190 countries, encouraging people to use less plastic than they may have otherwise had. While I cannot say I find it very efficient to keep track of all my actions on sites like EcoChallenge, organized by the Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums, I do find that the increased awareness and intention have changed my decisions at least a few times already, leading me to overall use less plastic than I would have otherwise had. I found that actively refusing that plastic bag, or package does take a bit of work given its ubiquity. Plus, Pennsylvania does not yet have bans on single use plastic items or plastic bags that are already in place elsewhere (e.g. New Jersey).
Cleanup in Philadelphia one late afternoon of an intersection (22nd and Winter St) I drive through regularly on way to work:

Housekeeping

The new logo is out!! See header of this newsletter, and check out the website itself. What does it mean?
- The albatross: all animal life forms, symbolized by this majestic bird. See my first newsletter!
- Trees and leaves: plant life, indispensable, as food, habitat, or providers of oxygen.
- Buildings: the built environment, and humanity’s impact in a nutshell. This part is connected to our work on the litter cleanup front, to recognize the need for harmony and integration.
- Circle: our planet, plus the concept of circularity, as hinted above.

If you found this helpful or interesting, please share with your friends, contacts and anyone you know who may benefit from following my journey. Let’s gain some knowledge, and take action toward a cleaner, healthier world.

Thank you.

Razvan

Newsletter Archive