By Doug Woodring and Trish Hyde

Modern economic theory maintains that countries should optimize the trade of global goods and services by embracing other nations’ competitive advantages—letting others excel where their advantages exist. What it did not account for is the trade of “bads” between nations, whereby a country sends unwanted materials (in this case, waste) to another’s shores to take advantage of that country’s competitive advantages (low labor costs and lax environmental enforcement). This trade of bads was widely adopted in the case of waste recovery and recycling partly because developed countries haven’t established on-shore solutions for processing at the same rate they’ve created trash, due to high processing costs within their borders.

By Trish Hyde and Doug Woodring

Underlying the trade in plastic waste is the harsh reality that few countries participate in circular economics, and much of the world lacks the needed processes and infrastructure to create Second Life markets for their own local collection. Ironically, this includes two of the world’s wealthiest cities – Singapore and Hong Kong. While both have virtually 100 per cent collection coverage, limited local processing options means that half of the recyclables go to landfill or incineration, while export markets are sought for the rest, if they are collected, sorted, and recovered properly in the first place, which is not common.

By Amelia Rigsby

With 8M Tonnes of plastic waste entering oceans each year, causing an estimated USD$13Bn worth of ecosystem damage, action is needed now. While many look to regulation, consumer education, or community action for the answers, one forward-thinking group – Plasticity – is finding practical business solutions that get plastics out of the environment and back into circulation. Plasticity is coming to the South Pacific (Suva, 13 March 2019) - and everyone is invited.

By Mark Agnew

The ATIR coastal rowing race is simultaneously being hosted on rowing machines in the ATIR Global Erg Challenge. Competitors from around the world can sit in the gym and row on a pre-recorded video that matches their speed via an app called Kinomap. One such man is Erden Eruc, who will be rowing around the Island from Seattle. The American is no stranger to pulling oars, as he rowed unsupported across the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. “I think I have the mental stamina, but I dread the experience,” he said, adding that even when training for Ocean rowing he never spent more than 40 minutes on a rowing machine.