How Plastic Is a Design Failure and New Technologies Must Change Concept of Recycling

Entrepreneur Cyrill Gutsch thinks we need to ditch plastic—not just recycle it.

“We created a material that was designed to last forever,” he explained. The problem is, this material lasts forever,” he stated. “And even if you don’t use it anymore, even if it lost its purpose, it’s wandering around this planet like a zombie, like an undead, and leaving behind a trail of destruction, a trail of death.”

Gutsch founded Parley for the Oceans, its mission is to solve marine plastic pollution through raising awareness and creating new designs.

“For a long time, consumers were told that the ‘Three R’ strategy will end problems around plastic pollution: reduce, reuse, and recycle,” he explained. “That this says is the material is fine. You, the consumer, you’re using it wrong. And I think that’s misleading.”

Gutsch says that this ideally protects an old technology and pushed the burden toward the consumer.

“Recycling is just a Band-Aid,” he said. “It’s the best thing we can do today, but it doesn’t solve the problem for good.”

Parley’s mission it to inspire and to empower creators, thinkers, and leaders to become activists for the oceans— and they provide the platform, tools, knowledge and strategy to do so.

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