Happy New Year!

All over the world, people are making resolutions, taking time to reflect on how they want the next 12 months to go. What great opportunity.

There is tremendous power in our connectedness.

I was looking for a project to share to inspire the beginnings of great things in 2011, and settled on this image. Remember the plastic island – the floating heap of garbage and chemical sludge that is floating in the Pacific comprised of all the plastic debris that we dispose of on a regular basis? Animals die repeatedly from eating the plastic junk and feeding it to their young, it is in international waters and as such, a problem for all of us.

This image is of what could be. The plastic island could be turned into a real island – with trees and with a plastic plant that collects all of the plastic trash around the world and turns the plastic into basic, useful products. Here is the premise:

Plastic island

Our starting point is that this predicament must be solved at the source. The plastic is no longer garbage, but a sustainable raw material that lays the foundations of an island. The island, or raft, has three functions:

1. collecting plastic,
2. transforming plastic into basic products,
3. providing accommodations for inhabitants and employees.

Plastic Island is connected to large membranes pulled forward by kites, the membranes bring the underwater debris towards the island. Once on the island, the plastic is recycled to basic plastic products. Nothing but technology defines the design of the island. Since this project is in some sense isolated from having to comply with an existing environment, everything is possible. This interesting situation can potentially bring together new and unexpected partnerships. This will undoubtedly lead to surprising outcomes.

Let us make time for creative thinking this year. For making, shaping, experimenting with new ideas, recipes, and projects that stretch our experiences to create surprisingly positive outcomes.

All of us at Butter Beans wish you all the best in your lives and endeavors, and thank you for being a part of our community.