Trash isn’t sexy or fun – it’s literally the things we want to forget the moment we throw it away. But the truth is, according to Miniwiz Founder and CEO Arthur Huang, almost everything we use can be turned into something else, creating a true circular economy.
Driving the news: During a discussion on the main stage with hope at Concordia’s annual sustainability summit in New York yesterday, Huang unveiled an entire wardrobe – suit, shirt and tie – made from recycled polyester yarn.
- Showing people transformed trash in action can help change negative consumer perceptions about them, he said.
Why is this important: Landfills, waste and trash are often left out of the sustainability conversation. In fact, they produce gases that contribute to global warming and represent existing resources that could reduce the need for new raw materials.
How Miniwiz technology works: Huang describes Miniwiz’s technology as a kitchen that buys its (waste) ingredients from waste management companies, then prepares everything from building materials to portable wireless chargers using coffee cups, coffee plugs, and more. bottles, clear salad containers and even PPE.
Yes, but: The success of efforts like Huang’s is hard to achieve and hard to replicate. The ways in which waste management industries operate and the outdated nature of supply chains contribute to the challenge.
What they say : Waste and resource management is currently too centralized, says Huang.
- Miniwiz needed to find a way to decentralize it in the easiest and most cost-effective way possible, he said.
What to watch: Huang says he strives to take his “trashlab” to different cities around the world.
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