Waste Not Want Not

Flash Forward

Flash Forward Presents

Science

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 22 December 2020

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today’s episode is all about trash. What if every country had to deal with its own garbage instead of shipping it elsewhere? Did you know what trash is bought and sold on a global market? What would happen if that market was shut down? Guests: Dr. Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood — lecturer in sustainable development at the University of St. Andrews. Jim Puckett — founder and executive director of the Basel Action Network Dr. Jenna Jambeck — professor of environmental engineering at the University of Georgia Dr. Joshua Lepawsky — professor in the department of geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland James Wakibia — environmental activist in Kenya Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali — vice president for environmental justice, climate and community revitalization at the National Wildlife Federation Voice Actors: New Plastic Commercial — Richelle Claireborn Friend 1 — Henry Alexander Kelly Friend 2 — Shara Kirby → → → Further reading & resources here! ← ← ← Flash Forward is hosted by, Rose Eveleth and produced by Julia Llinas Goodman. The intro music is by Asura and the outtro music is by Hussalonia. The episode art is by Matt Lubchansky. Get in touch: Twitter // Facebook // Reddit // info@flashforwardpod.com Support the show: Patreon // Donorbox Subscribe: iTunes // Soundcloud // Spotify Episode Sponsors: Hello Fresh: Get fresh, pre-measured ingredients and mouthwatering seasonal recipes delivered right to your door. Go to HelloFresh.com/flashforward80 and use code flashforward80 to get $80 off including free shipping! Shaker & Spoon: A subscription cocktail service that helps you learn how to make hand-crafted cocktails right at home. Get $20 off your first box at shakerandspoon.com/ffwd. Tab for a Cause: A browser extension that lets you raise money for charity while doing your thing online. Whenever you open a new tab, you’ll see a beautiful photo and a small ad. Part of that ad money goes toward a charity of your choice! Join team Advice For And From The future by signing up at tabforacause.org/flashforward. Tavour: Tavour is THE app for fans of beer, craft brews, and trying new and exciting labels. You sign up in the app and can choose the beers you’re interested in (including two new ones DAILY) adding to your own personalized crate. Use code: flashforward for $10 off after your first order of $25 or more. Purple Carrot: Purple Carrot is THE plant-based subscription meal kit that makes it easy to cook irresistible meals to fuel your body. Each week, choose from an expansive and delicious menu of dinners, lunches, breakfasts, and snacks! Get $30 off your first box by going to www.purplecarrot.com and entering code FLASH at checkout today! Purple Carrot, the easiest way to eat more plants! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and flash forward. I'm Rose and I am your host and Flash Forward is a show about the future. So if you're new here every episode we take on a specific possible or sometimes not so possible future scenario. The first thing we do together is we
0:24.7	always start with a little field trip into the future to check out what is going
0:28.8	on here and then we all teleport back to today to talk to experts about how that world that we just heard
0:36.0	might really go down. Got it? Great. This episode we are starting in the year 2032. Garbage, waste, trash, junk.
0:57.0	You've probably heard these words used to describe items you use every day.
1:02.0	Things like the plastic bags you use to carry your
1:04.3	groceries, the water bottles you give to your kids during sports practice, and the
1:09.2	packaging needed to deliver essential items safely to your home. It seems everyone these days has an opinion about
1:16.9	plastic and you probably want to do something about it but what can you do to help?
1:23.0	The scientists at National Oil have been hard at work on this problem,
1:28.0	and we finally have a solution.
1:30.0	We call it new plastic or echothane.
1:34.0	Echothane is exempt from the synthetic polymer act that plays strict limits on plastic usage.
1:40.0	When you use echothane, you can be confident you're in full compliance with the law, no matter how much you buy.
1:47.0	What is Echothane? It's 95% the same as old plastic, so you'll barely notice the difference.
1:55.8	But old plastic can take up to a thousand years to decompose, and new trade restrictions
2:01.3	means it sits in our American landfills for years.
2:05.0	Echothane breaks down up to 10 times faster than that.
2:08.9	This means we can use more of it than old plastic without contributing to the national landfill overflow crisis.
2:17.0	Old plastic fills up the oceans too.
2:20.0	It's estimated that in less than 20 years our oceans will contain more plastic than fish.
2:26.3	Ecothane is water-soluble, meaning it dissolves in the ocean over time.
	...

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