If it had been a 2 hour lecture he would have had plenty of time to go into some of the details of MBA Polymers procedures and how they relate to EPA standards, and so forth. Most of that information is available online, if you really want to know what his secret is, then look it up.
Great talk! We still need to wean off of environmentally harmful plastics to the maximum extent possible. PVC, especially for construction in siding, roofing, and plumbing, should be stopped.
Please visit my channel for the unpopular truth about homosexuality.
A person does not need hatred or any kind of phobia in order to acknowledge important differences between heterosexual attraction / behavior / marriage / adoption and homosexual attraction / behavior / marriage / adoption. Even non-religious people know this.
Homosexual activists, with support from the media, have succeeded at framing themselves as noble victims; it's an effective way to push a social agenda.
The best solution all together is to stop making plastics out of oil, and start making them out of biodegradable materials. Until then, this is the way to go.
Great talk! Innovations and breakthroughs are happening nearly every day in the recycling industry. Discarded plastics are being turned into useful materials like oil, creating higher rates of diversion and helping to close the loop.
It really is about time, frankly. How many decades have we been cramming this crap into land fill and expecting it to just go away. Plastics a fairly resilient so they don't just go away. They degrade into smaller particles that make their way into the ocean and cause problems for a lot of the microbes living there. . We must embrace this technology...
Ofcourse the oil industry wont be pleased that some of their revenue is being redirected...
What if the product manufacturers established programs where they dismantle the products you buy from them? Many of our products are rather complex combinations of metals, plastic, and other things. But, the designers can take them apart, reuse the components that work, and sort the broken materials for recycling themselves? Great Job by the way, what an elegant solution to such a filthy problem!
@teamtunell Re-use would never work for most manufacturers. Their components are obsolete as soon as the next model is created, which is often as frequent as three or four months. Designing things otherwise is the obvious answer, but that leads to the stifling of innovation- if you had asked Steve Jobs to stop making his iPhones thinner and lighter he'd call you crazy (and far worse if you suggested using scratched plastic). A recycling plant at the place of disposal is far more economic.
A very large issue with reusing polymers, elastamers, or even composites, is that on an atomic level the recycled material is not the same as virgin material. several qaulities change including strength and durability, or thermal qaulities which will affect the manufacturing process of a product. just because you can sort the different material apart does not solve the issue of being able to reuse it.
@bmw2go11 how do you turn those pellets into a soda bottle or plastic bag? you would have to re heat the plastic at which point melting the plastic will chemically alter the plastic and its qaulity.
Not an expert, but bottles, bags and (almost?) everything else plastic is originally made from pellets, so however they're made the 1st time, they'll be made the 2nd, 3rd 4th...
I have nothing against this guy making a buck. But TED talks are suppose to be about sharing ideas, not promoting products and services. By keeping his process a secret, we may as well have someone on TED advertising for lawn care.
Let the man keep his secret. Perfect it. Get it right. Make it into an affordable plant creation / conversion process. Then license the heck out of your precess.
Don't be a hater because he's unwilling to share his process for free. Everybody wants to make a buck.
The real question is, what happens when Big Oil finds out that THEIR product is going down in demand? If less oil is needed for manufacturing... prices to down... profits go down. Go Team!
When did TED's "Ideas Worth Spreading" turn into "Ideas Kept Secret" - ? Too many people just get on there just to BRAG. Mike Biddle is clearly one of them - he doesn't tell us his secret to recycling plastic. Something that's potentially useful to the planet, he's keeping it a secret, using TED as a soapbox to brag from. Thanks for nothing.
Yeah, applause, undoubtedly... but what is the ecological cost of the processing? Jus' askin.'
There is a huge need to address the instant gratification/throwaway culture (look how they go skipping along, hand in hand!) in order tyo address the problem.
Um, check 8:00 again - compared to traditional production it saves 80-90% energy and 1-3 tons of CO2, reducing the need for thermal, nuclear or hydro power plants; the greenhouse effect; the size of garbage dumps; as well as eliminating the need to burn plastic, which makes toxic fumes.
@akylae101 faery nuff, thanks for that. still think we need to address our selfish desires as well, but this *is* good, didn't mean to take away from it. : )
@superDKman An increase in supply may well also trigger a huge drop in the price of recovered plastic. The same thing happened with recycled glass. Just saying. I hope the process is as economically viable as he claims.
if he really wants to change the world he should have explained the method he uses , for what i see, he is doing a god job for the planet , but at the end money is the final goal.
Why did he not mention that you can vaporize plastic and cool it into water, returning it into oil forum? Japanese scientists have already done this, I do not know why any American company hasn't taken to it.
we do not need a policy in place. we need a more conscious nation. policies will lead to fines and such. policies will lead to another councel/board that our tax money will have to pay for.
@overtoke Why do we have to stop using plastic? We're not "making more plastic" we're "reusing existing plastic" which means no new plastic is made and no more oil is used to do so. It becomes another useful item which we can recycle again when we're done with it. It's durable, it can take on any shape, it's light weight, and until we figure out something better it's not going anywhere.
@kilroy1964 IS ...Us ....living our live responsibly ...make it (plastics) our personal 'business' ...Identify and sort our resource(plastics) at ground zero ;-]) our homes ...our very own personal mine(where we live with all sorts of resources plastic is just one) ...our storehouse of above ground resources ...recognize and work with the system for recovery of resouces that's in place to assist us (one of which is ...we have laws that require manufacturers label all plastics as to type)
Is it just me or did he never actually get around to explaining just what his ground-breaking method for recycling plastic actually IS?
Did I just miss it or what? He just randomly stated that a sophisticated machine sorts it all out, but said nothing about what properties of the plastics it was measuring or by what method in order to actually do so.
@TheFounderUtopia yeah u r right....it was all just general blabla bullshit that every average person already knows....he never explained how they sort PE from PP or PMMA or PET or even plastics containing chlor....he could just have said "it's magic!"...furthermore alot of plastics can't even be melted and drawn into spaghetti, they just get destroyed -.- ....like I said, typical general semi-science blah blah to give stupid people a good conscience that u can recycle everything -.-
@Methematician It's a trade secret and I'm sure he's going to make a ton of money off of it for his efforts. And yes, thermoset plastics probably aren't going to be recoverable at all, but how many consumer goods are made with thermosets? Everything is thermoplastics because they're faster, cheaper, and easier to manufacture at a large scale
@Methematician for acknowledgement's sake I'd like to address your "...furthermore alot of plastics can't even be melted and drawn into spaghetti, they just get destroyed " if true ...we can always stop ourselves from buying that specific plastic since by law manufacturers are obliged to identify material content
@rahulcart you're kidding ...right?!? ...of course you are ;-]) ...he MAY have the right... but as we, citizens, awaken from our 'consumer snooze' have the right/responsibility to question the stories we hear ...while you type call "every right .....to disclose the method' and "called a trade secret." it is also just a story ...as to your last two sentences ...just another little part of a very big story totally worthy of question ;-]) ...I'll leave you to it ;-])
@rahulcart thanks for clearing that up ;-]) ...just out of curiosity did you read your reply? ...feel free to consider the question rhetorical 'cause I did ...I read 1 "No", 3 "not"s, 2 "dis"s,1 "don't" and 1"(sorry to burst your bubble)" to which i'll respond with: if I have a bubble as you typed it is still intact
as to the rest ..I listened ...I heard ...and I know recycling can be done more cost effectivly if WE make recycling our 'personal business' oops ;-]) to it ;-])
@rahulcart fascinating ...ocillating between acknowledgement that is almost respect yet deflecting appreciation of sense of humour
Interesting ...I thought we are sharing perspective in this virtual engagement ... clearly your use of the prefix "non" hyphened with argument indicates you think otherwise ...oh well...to each their own ;-])
@TheFounderUtopia absolutely spot on ...even though the title is "We can recycle plastic" clearly Mike Biddle comes first telling quite a story (I do understand the title is simply following TED format even 'normal' ...I just think that MB spoke litterally ...demonstrating perfectly... current 'business' strategy ) ....I wondered if anyone would see through the shiny clean surface ...the huourously humble, handsome. charmingly rugged he-man oops "garbage-man" persona ...you did and I thank-you
@TheFounderUtopia Why? That could be trade secret or could be that he didn't have enough time nor thought it's worth it to try to explain the process to a wide audience. I got what he said from the video, and as long as they can establish capital to build such a plastic recycling factory, I am sure they know what they're doing.
@TheFounderUtopia Don't take this the wrong way, but if he started going step by step through the chemical process, would it have benefited you in any way? My guess is that it would be as if he was talking in a foreign language. TED talks are not exactly aimed at experts of any particular field.
@TheFounderUtopia Sounds like the groundbreaking part is the machine that can scan each little fingernail sized piece of plastic to determine its type and redirect it to the proper place so it's not mixed in with other plastic types. As mentioned earlier in the video, that's the hard part about recycling plastic.
@TheFounderUtopia That be a trade secret, and the foundation of his business. Why would he share that information? He did mention the machine sorts of density, then quality, then color.
Yet another punch to the gut for the USA. Why are we so far behind? Why can't we accomplish common sense stuff like recycling laws? Because it gets inanely politicized... I can't believe how much shame I have for my country. The USA has so much it could do yet everything gets mired and complicated. We need to start thinking with our gut more. Recycling is the right thing to do.
@bwc1ngame "Plastic is good for everyone when it's not being utilized." or "Stop the production of plastic completely." Just some of the things I could imagine someone disliking the video for - aside from "Lulz, no dislikes? I'm gonna do it anyway."
We should get rid of plastic altogether and not prolong it's life by recycling it, face it, fossil fuels can be replaced and so can plastic, but of course there's too much money in the whole oil business so we won't see any solutions for a long time.
@KreatorRage that you use 'should' speaks volumes ...do tell ...how do we get 'rid' plastic? ...feel free to consider the question rhetorical ....PLASTIC as MATTER is on the surface almost everywhere ...we can gather it up and reuse it effectively ...we can make it our personal business ,,,matter in continual 'rebirth'
I agree fossil fuels can be replaced ...we can even make FF obsolete (in so doing the oil companies become extinct) ...PLASTICS have re sourceable value; re useable value
He forgot to mention that virgin plastic most of the time cannot be mixed with recycled plastic, it has a large effect on the physical properties on the final product, so, products that rely on the strength of the plastic cant be made from recycled plastic. And also used PET bottles cannot be recycled into bottles again due to bacteria and fungus... Other than that is fine, like the useless cheap printers that cost less than the actual ink cartidge.
@jtmedina75 I doubt that. You're not even trying to understand why someone might dislike this video. Maybe they think it's better to turn plastic back into fuel with small home devices instead of shipping it around the world for only big companies to use as taxpayer subsidized resources. Some of us don't like pretending plastic is waste and then paying for another's free lunch. Why do think China is even willing to buy our "garbage"?
@jgbloyd Sorry I don't buy it. What he wants is precisely that It will prevent people from china risking their lives recycling plastic. The point is technology can make our world a more sustainable place. It's not sustainable sending all that waste to china for someone in a small village trying to recycle it in a way that most likely will be bad for his health
Home devices to turn plastic back into fuel???, Where, when??. Maybe you have to go to TED and tell them how to change the world :)
So we have two ways to manage plastic then where is the problem?. Seems someone has found a way to recycle plastic into oil or gasoline and he found a way to recycle any plastic into new plastic which will prevent using landfills to store it...I don't understand why both ideas can't coexist.
@jtmedina75 Agreed. I was just questioning your initial comment, which presumed the dislikers wanted the world to be a huge landfill, and was thinking of ways people might dislike this video for other, more likely, reasons. Funny side, I wish I owned a landfill. I wish people would actually pay me to accept their valuable stuff!
let this person get very successful let him make tons of money and let him build a lot of recycle plants all over the world! finally a process that makes sense and can be done locally for a good economic price.
"I'm a garbage man" ...says a lot about your clever story which by design avoids saying that 'garbage' is a convenient myth ...a story that makes it easy for us to shift our right to ...our responsblity for ...our own environment ...to you
Mike you make a case for 'your technology' carefully avoiding mentioning the fact that many countries have in place legislation that requires manufacturers to inform accurately and clearly the material composition of manufactured products
..that which you do in your very complicated technological process ...more simply with a smaller 'footprint' ...more sustainably ...most of all we can do (all that you do rather exclusively) together in a mutually beneficial...a mutually profitable way
Very clever Mike! ...while I agree with your title "We can recycle plastic" ...my understanding of the "we" goes beyond the story that you have shared here ...I also agree with your statement regarding the word consumer ...WE, are more than just consumers WE, all of us, (each of us collectively) are citizens living together worthy of mutual benefit ...mutual respect ...mutual profit We, as citizens, have awakened to the fact that plastics have value in each of their various categories...
further ...your 'we' excludes most of the 'WE' that must be included in order to grow the concept of mutually beneficial "We can recycle plastic" ...in fact we (in Canadian made products) have developed legislation that requires manufacturers to identify the plastics used in their respective products so 'we' can identify, separate, then ultimately collect 'source separated product' (in our homes) which can be easily returned to the system which produced the plastic in the first place.
we, as citizens working together, have done most of what you shared a long time ago ...the legislation has been in place for some time but most 'consumers' are aware at a consumer level rather than the citizen awareness and 'we' that are aware that collective human intellect has already recognized the 'plastics' as a resource are the primary sustainable system for recovery and resourcing plastics ...your story ...your technology masks the fact that 'WE' are and 'WE' deserve to profit mutually
@SEThatered ...many people (in fact thousands of people) do sort "willingly" ...freely ...in fact whereever there is municiple curbside recycling in place people are compelled sort and pay tax dollars to do exactly what "the many people have done and still do willingly"
when you (anyone) say and/or type "those who sort and label the trash will pay less" ...the words pay homage to the concept ...the myth of "trash" rather than the product ...the resource PLASTIC ...why pay to sort and label?
@SEThatered ...feel free to consider the question rhetorical ...when one identifies sorts and labels PLASTIC one is in fact mining PLASTIC ...miners get paid ...mining companies get paid even more ...PLASTIC is the above ground resource for which the miners are expected to do their work for free and in the case of " municiple curbside recycling " the 'miners' are compelled to paytaxes to do so... at the same time as the 'mining companies(Mike'company for example) profit exponentially
@SEThatered Brilliant! ...I absolutely agree ...your proposal of selling back to manufacturers ....mobile phone casings at fair market price would change 'mobile phone companies' forever ...making shipping new as well as used technology across oceans an obvious rethink in practical terms of economic sustainibility ...in terms of mutually beneficial and mutually profitable strategies. 'Businesses' at any level need us as citizens more than we ...them (the 'need' is purposely omitted) ;-])
This idea was proposed by Siemens in Germany, but it was made through private garbage collector businesses, and those found it too complicated and expensive, so the idea was scrapped.
I think it has more potential if implemented with minimal number of middleman services.
Plus in this case there be hardly any confusion about the type of plastic they'll get: who else would know what products are made of if not manufacturers themselves?
Mike, Please get unbelieably filthy rich on this. So others will recognise the wealth of waste. And I like your way of thinking: we're part of nature, part of the chain. And your kapitalistic solution will really make a change.
@doloppost ...please be carefull about what you ask for... Mike's story sounds good on the surface but the story carefully avoids acknowledging us as couscientious citizens ...I absolutely agree with your well put statement "we're part of nature, part of the chain." moreover since we are in fact the vital part ...the sustainable resource upon which Mike's reseach and developement/technology relied we deserve to profit mutually/equally ...nature's way ;-])
@doloppost ...further to your comment ...I'm thinking you meant capitalistic ...if so... dare I point out that while capitalistic solutions have made and continue to make changes ...the capitalistic concept can fly ...over and above any level of exploitation/enslavement if it includes the idea of mutual and equal benefit/profit ...We, each ONE of us, are 'the resource' that can be 'the solution' ...we are changing ...we are awakening from the consumer coma
Two questions. 1: What is the actual carbon footprint of the recyling proces? 2. How far has this recyling proces been promoted and applied internationally?
@wevenhuis the answer depends on the party to whom the question is directed
to your first question ...as an individual living on this plant each one of us creates a footprint ...by participating in the recycling process the carbon footprint decreases ...most of the 'R P' is thinking and rethinking ones choices as to how one lives take for example ...ones home becomes more than just a home ...when 'home' is seen as a mine too suddenly everything in the home has new value ...plastic paper metal
@gaiagale I guess the question is to the speaker of this TED talk, the TEDtalksdirector or anyone who can give a valid answer to both questions. I guess there is some sense in the answer you provided. It would however be interesting to know if the carbon footprint of the recyling proces of plastics weighs up against the carbon footprint of production and current waste disposing methods. Although an individuals part on the environment may be relevant, what is macro-effect and balance of this?
the plastic recycling/upcycling plant can be duplicated EVERYWHERE in the U.S.! how do I get involved?
aclosefamily 1 month ago
GREAT TALK!
xPBJ 1 month ago
too bad he glossed over the actual method of sorting the diff types of plstics.
alexhamster1134 2 months ago
@alexhamster1134 It is likely proprietary, though I would have also liked to have learned more.
Wormtail81 2 months ago
I guess those bums in the slums are out of jobs now lol he stole their idea
gdog48001 2 months ago
this is amazing!!! why isnt this happening around the world???
kickthedonky 3 months ago
excellent talk!
bohemianh 3 months ago
If it had been a 2 hour lecture he would have had plenty of time to go into some of the details of MBA Polymers procedures and how they relate to EPA standards, and so forth. Most of that information is available online, if you really want to know what his secret is, then look it up.
ironassbrown 3 months ago
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ironassbrown 3 months ago
what the hell is the name of his company
jmakme 3 months ago
11 minutes with 60 seconds on the relevant technology with almost no info in that minute. Pretty lame for e TED speech.
jeep6242 4 months ago
Great talk! We still need to wean off of environmentally harmful plastics to the maximum extent possible. PVC, especially for construction in siding, roofing, and plumbing, should be stopped.
SPKaa 4 months ago
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SPKaa 4 months ago
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Homosexual activists, with support from the media, have succeeded at framing themselves as noble victims; it's an effective way to push a social agenda.
lightandbeautiful 4 months ago
The best solution all together is to stop making plastics out of oil, and start making them out of biodegradable materials. Until then, this is the way to go.
OriginalMindTrick 4 months ago
So, what stands in the way to use his method widespread?
I kinds miss that point in his talk.
zydomason 4 months ago
what if we took all the bank bailout money and gave it to this guy... actually the same could be commented on all of the TED talks.
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MrThastik 4 months ago in playlist TED talk favorites
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MrThastik 4 months ago in playlist TED talk favorites
I only want to buy stuff made from his plastic
InfestedChris 4 months ago in playlist More videos from TEDtalksDirector
I wish he gave a cost comparison to a few types of virgin plastics.
A true innovator!
AtibbsSPARTAN 4 months ago
I certainly changed my way of looking at stuff.. I will look for the recycled label so I make sure I don't buy it.
salahhe 4 months ago
Can you imagine we pay people to sort our garbage? For a dollar a day. That is just fucked up. That is wrong, no matter how you put it...
salahhe 4 months ago
Great talk! Innovations and breakthroughs are happening nearly every day in the recycling industry. Discarded plastics are being turned into useful materials like oil, creating higher rates of diversion and helping to close the loop.
GreenstarRecycling 4 months ago
He looks like Micheal Scott from the office, in the thumbnail for this clip. thats the only reason why i clicked it.
enosfruit 4 months ago
It really is about time, frankly. How many decades have we been cramming this crap into land fill and expecting it to just go away. Plastics a fairly resilient so they don't just go away. They degrade into smaller particles that make their way into the ocean and cause problems for a lot of the microbes living there. . We must embrace this technology...
Ofcourse the oil industry wont be pleased that some of their revenue is being redirected...
DrSpooglemon 4 months ago
What if the product manufacturers established programs where they dismantle the products you buy from them? Many of our products are rather complex combinations of metals, plastic, and other things. But, the designers can take them apart, reuse the components that work, and sort the broken materials for recycling themselves? Great Job by the way, what an elegant solution to such a filthy problem!
teamtunell 4 months ago
@teamtunell Re-use would never work for most manufacturers. Their components are obsolete as soon as the next model is created, which is often as frequent as three or four months. Designing things otherwise is the obvious answer, but that leads to the stifling of innovation- if you had asked Steve Jobs to stop making his iPhones thinner and lighter he'd call you crazy (and far worse if you suggested using scratched plastic). A recycling plant at the place of disposal is far more economic.
Monchanger 4 months ago
A very large issue with reusing polymers, elastamers, or even composites, is that on an atomic level the recycled material is not the same as virgin material. several qaulities change including strength and durability, or thermal qaulities which will affect the manufacturing process of a product. just because you can sort the different material apart does not solve the issue of being able to reuse it.
Sharpshooterjoe 4 months ago
@Sharpshooterjoe he also said it gets sorted by quality.
so no, your statement is false. the plastic recycled by this process is identical to virgin material
bmw2go11 4 months ago
@bmw2go11 how do you turn those pellets into a soda bottle or plastic bag? you would have to re heat the plastic at which point melting the plastic will chemically alter the plastic and its qaulity.
Sharpshooterjoe 4 months ago
@Sharpshooterjoe i stand corrected.
/
bmw2go11 4 months ago
@Sharpshooterjoe
Not an expert, but bottles, bags and (almost?) everything else plastic is originally made from pellets, so however they're made the 1st time, they'll be made the 2nd, 3rd 4th...
Take care
akylae101 4 months ago
I wish I could double like this. If it ends up working well, this could change the world.
darkercheese 4 months ago
I have nothing against this guy making a buck. But TED talks are suppose to be about sharing ideas, not promoting products and services. By keeping his process a secret, we may as well have someone on TED advertising for lawn care.
Duffytoler 4 months ago 3
00:15
miskee11 4 months ago 2
Instead of a consumer can you call me a "full plastic alchemist"?
spinynorman1982 4 months ago
@spinynorman1982 i rofld at that :D
choister420 4 months ago
MBA Polymers
wolfram74x 4 months ago
We can also replace 100% of the petroleum based plastic products with organic plastics that are 100% biodegradable!
inshepherdswetrust 4 months ago
Let the man keep his secret. Perfect it. Get it right. Make it into an affordable plant creation / conversion process. Then license the heck out of your precess.
Don't be a hater because he's unwilling to share his process for free. Everybody wants to make a buck.
The real question is, what happens when Big Oil finds out that THEIR product is going down in demand? If less oil is needed for manufacturing... prices to down... profits go down. Go Team!
baduela1 4 months ago
@baduela1 This won't take significant demand away from oil, energy usage and price is only going to sky rocket further. They'll be fine.
seemoretube 4 months ago
When did TED's "Ideas Worth Spreading" turn into "Ideas Kept Secret" - ? Too many people just get on there just to BRAG. Mike Biddle is clearly one of them - he doesn't tell us his secret to recycling plastic. Something that's potentially useful to the planet, he's keeping it a secret, using TED as a soapbox to brag from. Thanks for nothing.
Duffytoler 4 months ago
@Duffytoler haters gonna hate
akazombie 4 months ago
Yeah, applause, undoubtedly... but what is the ecological cost of the processing? Jus' askin.'
There is a huge need to address the instant gratification/throwaway culture (look how they go skipping along, hand in hand!) in order tyo address the problem.
esmereldaweatherwax5 4 months ago
*to
esmereldaweatherwax5 4 months ago
@esmereldaweatherwax5
Um, check 8:00 again - compared to traditional production it saves 80-90% energy and 1-3 tons of CO2, reducing the need for thermal, nuclear or hydro power plants; the greenhouse effect; the size of garbage dumps; as well as eliminating the need to burn plastic, which makes toxic fumes.
akylae101 4 months ago
@akylae101 faery nuff, thanks for that. still think we need to address our selfish desires as well, but this *is* good, didn't mean to take away from it. : )
esmereldaweatherwax5 4 months ago
@esmereldaweatherwax5
Oh, no question about that. Take care :)
akylae101 4 months ago
I want the name of the company -- I may want to buy some of their product, and/or their stock if they've IPOed.
kennita728 4 months ago
@kennita728 same here!!!! exciting technology and it works. sign me up
khisanth75 4 months ago
Why can't we just shoot this shit into space?
Pandapwnegee 4 months ago
@Pandapwnegee
To send 1 pound of any material to orbit costs around 50.000 dollars in fuel and technology.
fellismorboso 4 months ago
@fellismorboso I never said orbit. These numbers are based off of the idea what we want to get the material back safely using rocket power.
Pandapwnegee 4 months ago
@Pandapwnegee
Good point!
fellismorboso 4 months ago
@fellismorboso =]
Pandapwnegee 4 months ago
How does the plant's separator deal with tiny particulate plastic matter, aka plastic dust? It's an inevitable side product of the grinding process.
DDDyson 4 months ago
*applause*
hckr4evr 4 months ago
Look at that, a capitalist is helping to save the planet. Those evil capitalists!!!! Recycling for profit, how dare he! :)
reason285 4 months ago 3
This genius just found a way to make the oil price drop and also how to recycle our massive pile of plastic. Nobel prize please.
superDKman 4 months ago 36
@superDKman naive to think oil prices will drop.
alexhamster1134 2 months ago
@superDKman An increase in supply may well also trigger a huge drop in the price of recovered plastic. The same thing happened with recycled glass. Just saying. I hope the process is as economically viable as he claims.
Wormtail81 2 months ago
Nice and inspiring speech!
MidiaWolf 4 months ago
what happened to if its broke fix it
333derick333 4 months ago
if he really wants to change the world he should have explained the method he uses , for what i see, he is doing a god job for the planet , but at the end money is the final goal.
tbcslayer 4 months ago
you guys need to consider the fact that the entire details of the method cannot be explained in a 10 minute speech.
Pasteldqueijo 4 months ago 6
where's the explanation? I want to hear the ideas that are worth spreading. Can't he just patent the method and still share with us?
conillusionist 4 months ago
0:15
bhamel2000 4 months ago
He didn't really tell us HOW he sorts the different types of plastics! : (
unluckylion 4 months ago
Comic Sans ;___;
ffles 4 months ago
0:15
lgrisotto 4 months ago 18
Why did he not mention that you can vaporize plastic and cool it into water, returning it into oil forum? Japanese scientists have already done this, I do not know why any American company hasn't taken to it.
BlindPlague 4 months ago 3
deserved standing ovation
nrekk 4 months ago 4
Don't know much about plastic recycling but the process he showed seemed to the traditional one that is already in the recyling industry.
or plastics weren't recycled at all.
madmersenne 4 months ago
FUCK I WANT TO MEET THIS GUY AND COLLABORATE WITH HIM. ANYBODY HAVE IDEAS ON HOW TO FIND HIM AND GIVE HIM A CALL?
carlitosvodka 4 months ago in playlist More videos from TEDtalksDirector
Oil :-/
twistedbass15 4 months ago
we do not need a policy in place. we need a more conscious nation. policies will lead to fines and such. policies will lead to another councel/board that our tax money will have to pay for.
kasperx01 4 months ago
It is good, but we can do better. Why not design everything for easy raw materials extraction?
Why not design for longevity?
He is curing the symptoms not the problem.
hashysh 4 months ago
I didn't know that we could recycle plastic. -_-
Kandarew 4 months ago
when you recycle plastic all you do is make more plastic. stop USING plastic, thx.
overtoke 4 months ago
@overtoke or you can turn it back into fuel
jgbloyd 4 months ago
@overtoke Why do we have to stop using plastic? We're not "making more plastic" we're "reusing existing plastic" which means no new plastic is made and no more oil is used to do so. It becomes another useful item which we can recycle again when we're done with it. It's durable, it can take on any shape, it's light weight, and until we figure out something better it's not going anywhere.
ScaryFast 4 months ago
awesome.
Denmarkpwns 4 months ago
His nice voice makes me feel comfortable about how his magic factory will run poor indians out of their dollar-a-day job.
SuperStaljin 4 months ago
Can TED please edit their videos so we can't hear the speaker licking their lips etc in every one of their videos?
phranklyn 4 months ago
And the ground breaking method for sorting plastics is...????????
kilroy1964 4 months ago 2
@kilroy1964 a secret. :X
invinciblemode 4 months ago
@kilroy1964 A Trade Secret!
Ocker3 4 months ago
@kilroy1964 IS ...Us ....living our live responsibly ...make it (plastics) our personal 'business' ...Identify and sort our resource(plastics) at ground zero ;-]) our homes ...our very own personal mine(where we live with all sorts of resources plastic is just one) ...our storehouse of above ground resources ...recognize and work with the system for recovery of resouces that's in place to assist us (one of which is ...we have laws that require manufacturers label all plastics as to type)
gaiagale 4 months ago
he says stuff alot
VirtRampage 4 months ago
Is it just me or did he never actually get around to explaining just what his ground-breaking method for recycling plastic actually IS?
Did I just miss it or what? He just randomly stated that a sophisticated machine sorts it all out, but said nothing about what properties of the plastics it was measuring or by what method in order to actually do so.
TheFounderUtopia 4 months ago 52
@TheFounderUtopia yeah u r right....it was all just general blabla bullshit that every average person already knows....he never explained how they sort PE from PP or PMMA or PET or even plastics containing chlor....he could just have said "it's magic!"...furthermore alot of plastics can't even be melted and drawn into spaghetti, they just get destroyed -.- ....like I said, typical general semi-science blah blah to give stupid people a good conscience that u can recycle everything -.-
Methematician 4 months ago
@Methematician It's a trade secret and I'm sure he's going to make a ton of money off of it for his efforts. And yes, thermoset plastics probably aren't going to be recoverable at all, but how many consumer goods are made with thermosets? Everything is thermoplastics because they're faster, cheaper, and easier to manufacture at a large scale
NeonSphinx89 4 months ago
@Methematician for acknowledgement's sake I'd like to address your "...furthermore alot of plastics can't even be melted and drawn into spaghetti, they just get destroyed " if true ...we can always stop ourselves from buying that specific plastic since by law manufacturers are obliged to identify material content
thanks for sharing your perspective
gaiagale 4 months ago
@TheFounderUtopia He has every right not to disclose the method. It's called a trade secret.
It's a big deal he found a method, and I think that needs to appreciated. Guys like him change the world.
rahulcart 4 months ago 96
@rahulcart you're kidding ...right?!? ...of course you are ;-]) ...he MAY have the right... but as we, citizens, awaken from our 'consumer snooze' have the right/responsibility to question the stories we hear ...while you type call "every right .....to disclose the method' and "called a trade secret." it is also just a story ...as to your last two sentences ...just another little part of a very big story totally worthy of question ;-]) ...I'll leave you to it ;-])
gaiagale 4 months ago
@gaiagale No i am not kidding, and you are not witty (sorry to burst your bubble).
Of course we have the right to question, I'll be the last person to disagree with that.
But if he has discovered a process, i think he deserves to get heard (at least).
A forum like TED does legitimise it (at least in my books, don't know about yours)
Its not a blind religious belief but a scientific discovery, and until anyone can contradict him scientifically, my vote goes to him. Cheers
rahulcart 4 months ago
@rahulcart thanks for clearing that up ;-]) ...just out of curiosity did you read your reply? ...feel free to consider the question rhetorical 'cause I did ...I read 1 "No", 3 "not"s, 2 "dis"s,1 "don't" and 1"(sorry to burst your bubble)" to which i'll respond with: if I have a bubble as you typed it is still intact
as to the rest ..I listened ...I heard ...and I know recycling can be done more cost effectivly if WE make recycling our 'personal business' oops ;-]) to it ;-])
Cheers ;-])
gaiagale 4 months ago
@gaiagale Your reply did reflect that your bubble has not burst ! How funny you must think you are :)
THAT is actually funny..
And as I expected, your reply was full of non-arguments anyways, so Adios, till you say anything worthwhile :)
rahulcart 4 months ago
@rahulcart fascinating ...ocillating between acknowledgement that is almost respect yet deflecting appreciation of sense of humour
Interesting ...I thought we are sharing perspective in this virtual engagement ... clearly your use of the prefix "non" hyphened with argument indicates you think otherwise ...oh well...to each their own ;-])
then Adios ;-])
it is :-])
gaiagale 4 months ago
@rahulcart ...I thought TED was for exchanging ideas...
kaisergrendel 4 months ago
Comment removed
mafistofun 4 months ago
@rahulcart the whole idea of ted is "ideas worth spreading"
MickyyisMick 4 months ago in playlist Videos from TEDtalksDirector
@MickyyisMick ideas worth spreading does not mean blueprints for the people.
Ideas are just that, ideas.
Ideas and inspiration is whats mainly "sold" here.
ninjovich 4 months ago 2
@rahulcart
I loved atlas shrugged too
wetkenny 4 months ago
@rahulcart I Agree......
gear10101 4 months ago
@TheFounderUtopia Trade secret, he can't reveal what the machine is doing.
thesolo 4 months ago
@TheFounderUtopia absolutely spot on ...even though the title is "We can recycle plastic" clearly Mike Biddle comes first telling quite a story (I do understand the title is simply following TED format even 'normal' ...I just think that MB spoke litterally ...demonstrating perfectly... current 'business' strategy ) ....I wondered if anyone would see through the shiny clean surface ...the huourously humble, handsome. charmingly rugged he-man oops "garbage-man" persona ...you did and I thank-you
gaiagale 4 months ago
@TheFounderUtopia that's what corporate espionage is for
Dhragonfly 4 months ago
@TheFounderUtopia Because I imagine he is a very rich man, and wishes to stay that way.
fishyboy111 4 months ago
@TheFounderUtopia Why? That could be trade secret or could be that he didn't have enough time nor thought it's worth it to try to explain the process to a wide audience. I got what he said from the video, and as long as they can establish capital to build such a plastic recycling factory, I am sure they know what they're doing.
plartoo 4 months ago 2
@TheFounderUtopia Don't take this the wrong way, but if he started going step by step through the chemical process, would it have benefited you in any way? My guess is that it would be as if he was talking in a foreign language. TED talks are not exactly aimed at experts of any particular field.
yrogerg123 4 months ago
@TheFounderUtopia Sounds like the groundbreaking part is the machine that can scan each little fingernail sized piece of plastic to determine its type and redirect it to the proper place so it's not mixed in with other plastic types. As mentioned earlier in the video, that's the hard part about recycling plastic.
ScaryFast 4 months ago
@TheFounderUtopia That be a trade secret, and the foundation of his business. Why would he share that information? He did mention the machine sorts of density, then quality, then color.
woolerman 4 months ago
@TheFounderUtopia trade secret, obviously.
godofwar007 4 months ago
Oh my goodness, FINALLY! :D
Silverstarlightt 4 months ago
What's there to dislike about this video?
gagsnet 4 months ago 2
Yet another punch to the gut for the USA. Why are we so far behind? Why can't we accomplish common sense stuff like recycling laws? Because it gets inanely politicized... I can't believe how much shame I have for my country. The USA has so much it could do yet everything gets mired and complicated. We need to start thinking with our gut more. Recycling is the right thing to do.
fuckyeahEPIC 4 months ago
what fuckhead dislikes this?
bwc1ngame 4 months ago
@bwc1ngame "Plastic is good for everyone when it's not being utilized." or "Stop the production of plastic completely." Just some of the things I could imagine someone disliking the video for - aside from "Lulz, no dislikes? I'm gonna do it anyway."
slaughtz 4 months ago
HEY MIKE BIDDLE, YOU WIN.
Khyrid 4 months ago 2
Awesome.
poopdude 4 months ago
We should get rid of plastic altogether and not prolong it's life by recycling it, face it, fossil fuels can be replaced and so can plastic, but of course there's too much money in the whole oil business so we won't see any solutions for a long time.
KreatorRage 4 months ago
@KreatorRage that you use 'should' speaks volumes ...do tell ...how do we get 'rid' plastic? ...feel free to consider the question rhetorical ....PLASTIC as MATTER is on the surface almost everywhere ...we can gather it up and reuse it effectively ...we can make it our personal business ,,,matter in continual 'rebirth'
I agree fossil fuels can be replaced ...we can even make FF obsolete (in so doing the oil companies become extinct) ...PLASTICS have re sourceable value; re useable value
gaiagale 4 months ago
10 minutes? They only gave this guy ten minutes? What a shame.
carlasev 4 months ago 4
I just found myself standing up for an applause when he was done.
TylerThrashPeace 4 months ago
He forgot to mention that virgin plastic most of the time cannot be mixed with recycled plastic, it has a large effect on the physical properties on the final product, so, products that rely on the strength of the plastic cant be made from recycled plastic. And also used PET bottles cannot be recycled into bottles again due to bacteria and fungus... Other than that is fine, like the useless cheap printers that cost less than the actual ink cartidge.
edgarinv 4 months ago
The consumer is going to be slapped with an additional cost for been eco friendly ...
styXv3ngeance 4 months ago
@styXv3ngeance Did you miss the part when he said it's cheaper?
MastermindX 4 months ago
@MastermindX must've!! Okay - but whats the catch ?? Is this as awesome as it says it is ?
styXv3ngeance 4 months ago
@styXv3ngeance I have no clue, to be honest. Some people pointed out recycled plastics are weaker and lower quality, but I don't really know.
MastermindX 4 months ago
He#s like the Harrison Ford of Awsome.
lanceawatt 4 months ago
What did he mean by, if it's broken, it's Mike's stuff?
lollivaleriepop 4 months ago
@lollivaleriepop the talk is called Mike Biddle: We can recycle plastic
calebp9503 4 months ago
@lollivaleriepop His name is mike. so instead of saying its my stuff he says its mikes stuff.
grogan4 4 months ago
Cradle to cradle, it's the way forward.
bakagajin 4 months ago
@bakagajin ...absolutely ...it's life! ...and it is our personal business ...mutually beneficial and mutually profitable
exploitation enslavement big business and multinational profiteering be gone
gaiagale 4 months ago
I can see this being really big!!!
moesboi 4 months ago
This is only the second time I've downvoted and favorited at the same time.
ZombieX13 4 months ago
8 people want this world to become a huge landfill...
jtmedina75 4 months ago
@jtmedina75 I doubt that. You're not even trying to understand why someone might dislike this video. Maybe they think it's better to turn plastic back into fuel with small home devices instead of shipping it around the world for only big companies to use as taxpayer subsidized resources. Some of us don't like pretending plastic is waste and then paying for another's free lunch. Why do think China is even willing to buy our "garbage"?
jgbloyd 4 months ago
@jgbloyd Sorry I don't buy it. What he wants is precisely that It will prevent people from china risking their lives recycling plastic. The point is technology can make our world a more sustainable place. It's not sustainable sending all that waste to china for someone in a small village trying to recycle it in a way that most likely will be bad for his health
Home devices to turn plastic back into fuel???, Where, when??. Maybe you have to go to TED and tell them how to change the world :)
jtmedina75 4 months ago
@jtmedina75 watch?v=qGGabrorRS8
jgbloyd 4 months ago
@jtmedina75 Here's how anyone can convert plastic to fuel at home with just a few household outdoor items....
watch?v=0AbgA49pSXQ&feature=related
Funny how simple and easy; basically heating plastic to high temp under pressure and then filtering the result through tap water.
Or, the portable high tech version:
watch?v=qGGabrorRS8
jgbloyd 4 months ago
@jgbloyd hehe I saw same video a year ago.
So we have two ways to manage plastic then where is the problem?. Seems someone has found a way to recycle plastic into oil or gasoline and he found a way to recycle any plastic into new plastic which will prevent using landfills to store it...I don't understand why both ideas can't coexist.
jtmedina75 4 months ago
@jtmedina75 Agreed. I was just questioning your initial comment, which presumed the dislikers wanted the world to be a huge landfill, and was thinking of ways people might dislike this video for other, more likely, reasons. Funny side, I wish I owned a landfill. I wish people would actually pay me to accept their valuable stuff!
jgbloyd 4 months ago
I suppose the earth, our environment is very thankful to this man. I bet most of us have never imagined recycling plastics.
ABHWLM 4 months ago
let this person get very successful let him make tons of money and let him build a lot of recycle plants all over the world! finally a process that makes sense and can be done locally for a good economic price.
shintsu01 4 months ago
8 people disliked this because the intro is still too loud.
KemaTheAtheist 4 months ago 2
"I'm a garbage man" ...says a lot about your clever story which by design avoids saying that 'garbage' is a convenient myth ...a story that makes it easy for us to shift our right to ...our responsblity for ...our own environment ...to you
Mike you make a case for 'your technology' carefully avoiding mentioning the fact that many countries have in place legislation that requires manufacturers to inform accurately and clearly the material composition of manufactured products
We can do...
gaiagale 4 months ago
..that which you do in your very complicated technological process ...more simply with a smaller 'footprint' ...more sustainably ...most of all we can do (all that you do rather exclusively) together in a mutually beneficial...a mutually profitable way
gaiagale 4 months ago
This is amazing!!!!!!!
Vortex42 4 months ago
Very clever Mike! ...while I agree with your title "We can recycle plastic" ...my understanding of the "we" goes beyond the story that you have shared here ...I also agree with your statement regarding the word consumer ...WE, are more than just consumers WE, all of us, (each of us collectively) are citizens living together worthy of mutual benefit ...mutual respect ...mutual profit We, as citizens, have awakened to the fact that plastics have value in each of their various categories...
gaiagale 4 months ago
further ...your 'we' excludes most of the 'WE' that must be included in order to grow the concept of mutually beneficial "We can recycle plastic" ...in fact we (in Canadian made products) have developed legislation that requires manufacturers to identify the plastics used in their respective products so 'we' can identify, separate, then ultimately collect 'source separated product' (in our homes) which can be easily returned to the system which produced the plastic in the first place.
gaiagale 4 months ago
we, as citizens working together, have done most of what you shared a long time ago ...the legislation has been in place for some time but most 'consumers' are aware at a consumer level rather than the citizen awareness and 'we' that are aware that collective human intellect has already recognized the 'plastics' as a resource are the primary sustainable system for recovery and resourcing plastics ...your story ...your technology masks the fact that 'WE' are and 'WE' deserve to profit mutually
gaiagale 4 months ago
I think sorting the recyclable stuff in more categories would help a lot!
I know many people will not do this willingly, but what if you can get rid
(or significantly cut the price) of the trash service payments?
I mean those who sort and label the trash will pay less, others will pay for their laziness: Win+Win=Profit!
SEThatered 4 months ago
@SEThatered ...many people (in fact thousands of people) do sort "willingly" ...freely ...in fact whereever there is municiple curbside recycling in place people are compelled sort and pay tax dollars to do exactly what "the many people have done and still do willingly"
when you (anyone) say and/or type "those who sort and label the trash will pay less" ...the words pay homage to the concept ...the myth of "trash" rather than the product ...the resource PLASTIC ...why pay to sort and label?
gaiagale 4 months ago
@SEThatered ...feel free to consider the question rhetorical ...when one identifies sorts and labels PLASTIC one is in fact mining PLASTIC ...miners get paid ...mining companies get paid even more ...PLASTIC is the above ground resource for which the miners are expected to do their work for free and in the case of " municiple curbside recycling " the 'miners' are compelled to paytaxes to do so... at the same time as the 'mining companies(Mike'company for example) profit exponentially
gaiagale 4 months ago
@gaiagale
Well than we can sell plastics directly back to the manufacturers!
So we'd sell say mobile phone casing back to mobile phone company to recycle it.
That'd loop recycling that without any in-between-resellers and highly motivate people to really sort trash.
SEThatered 4 months ago
@SEThatered Brilliant! ...I absolutely agree ...your proposal of selling back to manufacturers ....mobile phone casings at fair market price would change 'mobile phone companies' forever ...making shipping new as well as used technology across oceans an obvious rethink in practical terms of economic sustainibility ...in terms of mutually beneficial and mutually profitable strategies. 'Businesses' at any level need us as citizens more than we ...them (the 'need' is purposely omitted) ;-])
gaiagale 4 months ago
@gaiagale
This idea was proposed by Siemens in Germany, but it was made through private garbage collector businesses, and those found it too complicated and expensive, so the idea was scrapped.
I think it has more potential if implemented with minimal number of middleman services.
Plus in this case there be hardly any confusion about the type of plastic they'll get: who else would know what products are made of if not manufacturers themselves?
So we can write off yet another expense: sorting.
SEThatered 4 months ago
Mike, Please get unbelieably filthy rich on this. So others will recognise the wealth of waste. And I like your way of thinking: we're part of nature, part of the chain. And your kapitalistic solution will really make a change.
doloppost 4 months ago
@doloppost ...please be carefull about what you ask for... Mike's story sounds good on the surface but the story carefully avoids acknowledging us as couscientious citizens ...I absolutely agree with your well put statement "we're part of nature, part of the chain." moreover since we are in fact the vital part ...the sustainable resource upon which Mike's reseach and developement/technology relied we deserve to profit mutually/equally ...nature's way ;-])
gaiagale 4 months ago
@doloppost ...further to your comment ...I'm thinking you meant capitalistic ...if so... dare I point out that while capitalistic solutions have made and continue to make changes ...the capitalistic concept can fly ...over and above any level of exploitation/enslavement if it includes the idea of mutual and equal benefit/profit ...We, each ONE of us, are 'the resource' that can be 'the solution' ...we are changing ...we are awakening from the consumer coma
respect
gaiagale 4 months ago
Two questions. 1: What is the actual carbon footprint of the recyling proces? 2. How far has this recyling proces been promoted and applied internationally?
wevenhuis 4 months ago
@wevenhuis the answer depends on the party to whom the question is directed
to your first question ...as an individual living on this plant each one of us creates a footprint ...by participating in the recycling process the carbon footprint decreases ...most of the 'R P' is thinking and rethinking ones choices as to how one lives take for example ...ones home becomes more than just a home ...when 'home' is seen as a mine too suddenly everything in the home has new value ...plastic paper metal
gaiagale 4 months ago
@gaiagale I guess the question is to the speaker of this TED talk, the TEDtalksdirector or anyone who can give a valid answer to both questions. I guess there is some sense in the answer you provided. It would however be interesting to know if the carbon footprint of the recyling proces of plastics weighs up against the carbon footprint of production and current waste disposing methods. Although an individuals part on the environment may be relevant, what is macro-effect and balance of this?
wevenhuis 4 months ago