What a load of trash | Karsten Plutt | TEDxEatonSquarePrep
Karsten Plitt, a nine-year-old from three cities (Houston, London, and Baku), argues that global waste is a major environmental threat, evidenced by London collecting 3.7 million tons of garbage in 2016, which leads to plastic entering waterways and breaking down into microplastics. He suggests actionable steps like reducing single-use plastics, reusing items, and responsibly disposing of waste, emphasizing that small individual actions collectively make a big difference.
## Speakers & Context
- **Karsten Plitt** — Ninth-year-old speaker who lives in Houston, Texas; London, UK; and Baku, Azerbaijan, detailing garbage issues across these locations.
- Observes similar garbage problems in London and Baku despite different local regulations and programs.
- Notes that even with established systems in London, issues like overflowing bins still cause littering into rivers.
## Theses & Positions
- Global waste is immense, with the three mentioned cities alone generating over nine million tons of waste annually.
- Despite better infrastructure (e.g., recycling bins in London), overflowing bins and public carelessness lead to waste entering rivers and oceans.
- Plastic entering waterways is highly problematic because it breaks down into microplastics, which harm marine life.
- The World Bank predicts global waste will increase by **70 percent by 2050** without intervention.
- Small, collective individual actions—such as reducing plastic use, reusing items, and properly disposing of trash—can create a significant positive impact.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Microplastics** — Tiny pieces that plastic breaks down into; harmful to fish because they ingest them.
- **Single-use plastic** — Plastic items used once (e.g., plastic bags, bottles).
- **Littering** — The act of throwing trash on the ground when bins are full.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Waste Generation Comparison:** Combining Houston, London, and Baku generates over **nine million tons** of waste yearly.
- **Plastic Entry Mechanism:** When bins are full, people throw garbage on the ground, leading the waste into rivers and eventually oceans.
- **Microplastic Formation:** Plastic enters water, breaks up over time, resulting in microplastics.
- **Waste Reduction Cycle:** The process moves from awareness (talk) $\rightarrow$ individual action (reducing/reusing) $\rightarrow$ collective habit change (proper disposal).
## Timeline & Sequence
- **Past experience noted:** Comparing garbage issues in Baku $\rightarrow$ London.
- **Data Point:** London collected nearly **3.7 million tons** of garbage in **2016**.
- **Future Projection:** World Bank expects global waste to increase by **70 percent by 2050** if no action is taken.
## Named Entities
- **Houston, Texas** — One of the three cities mentioned.
- **London, UK** — One of the three cities mentioned; has established recycling programs.
- **Baku** — One of the three cities mentioned.
- **Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs** — Authority that released the 2016 garbage collection data for London.
- **River Thames** — The specific river in London noted for high levels of microplastics.
- **World Bank** — Institution predicting global waste increase.
## Numbers & Data
- Combined waste generation (Houston, London, Baku): Over **nine million tons** each year.
- London's 2016 garbage collection: Nearly **3.7 million tons**.
- Comparison: **3.7 million tons** equals over **625,000 elephants**.
- Global plastic usage: Over **1 million plastic bottles** used every minute globally.
- Recycling rate: Over **90%** of used plastic bottles are not recycled.
- Litter source: Over **60 percent** of litter collected in Thames cleanup projects are single-use plastics.
- Plastic density effect: Plastic floats because it has **low density**.
- World Bank projection: Waste expected to increase by **70 percent by 2050**.
## Examples & Cases
- **Singapore Comparison:** Combined waste of three cities is bigger than the Netherlands (population over **17 million people**).
- **Litter Observation:** When walking by the river Thames, many bins were full, leading people to throw trash directly on the ground.
- **Plastic Mitigation Example:** Instead of using plastic bags, using multi-use fabric shopping bags.
- **Waste Reuse Example:** Reusing jars and containers to separate and store Lego pieces.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Multi-use fabric shopping bags** — Alternative to single-use plastic bags.
- **Recycling bins** — Established infrastructure in London.
- **Lego pieces** — Example of items suited for reuse.
## References Cited
- **Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs** — Source for the **3.7 million tons** figure for London in **2016**.
- **Big Blue Ocean Cleanup** — Organization responsible for identifying Thames microplastic levels.
- **The World Bank** — Source for the **70 percent** increase projection by **2050**.
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- Despite London having established recycling programs, the issue persists due to overflowing bins and improper disposal practices.
## Methodology
- **Observation:** Walking alongside parents by the Thames river, observing full bins and resulting street litter.
- **Data Compilation:** Using reports from the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs and Big Blue Ocean Cleanup.
- **Educational Presentation:** Presenting actionable steps for waste reduction and behavioral change.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- **Immediate Action:** Count the pieces of plastic an individual and family throw away or recycle in one week and aim to reduce the number.
- **Behavioral Changes:**
- Parents: No longer using plastic bags at the grocery store.
- Reusing: Using jars/containers for storage.
- Cleanup: Picking up glitter and carrying trash until an empty bin is found.
- **Overarching Goal:** Making people aware of the global issue to participate in the education process.
## Implications & Consequences
- Plastic entering rivers and oceans harms sea life by ingestion.
- Microplastics are a persistent threat because they are tiny and difficult to remove.
- If global waste continues its current trend, the environmental impact will become exponentially worse by **2050**.
## Verbatim Moments
- *"hello my name is karsten plitt i am nine years old and i live in three different cities houston texas london uk and bacchus by jean."*
- *"those three cities combined would generate over nine million tons of waste each year."*
- *"Over 1 million plastic water balls are used every minute globally and over 90 of them are not recycled"*
- *"over 60 percent of the litter collected in river tables cleanup projects are single-use plastic items"*
- *"micro plastics are harmful to fish as they eat it"*
- *"The World Bank unfortunately expects global waste to increase by 70 percent by 2050 if we don't do anything"*
- *"can you make some changes to reduce the number"*
- *"when you see a bin that's full don't throw your garbage next to it but carry that piece of garbage until you find an empty bin"*