What if the plastic problem could fund jobs, power communities, and fight climate change, all at once?In this insightful talk, systems engineer and technologist Ethar Alali rethinks our approach to plastic waste. Drawing parallels to the early Internet, he proposes a bold new model: circular microeconomies that are decentralised, community led clusters that transform waste into value with technology and local insight. The result? Lower emissions, stronger communities, and scalable environmental resilience. This isn’t science fiction. It’s already happening and it might just be the plastic silver bullet we’ve been looking for. Ethar Alali, a seasoned technologist, mathematician, and serial entrepreneur, is on a mission to answer that question. As the founder of ReallyRecycle, a sustainability driven venture that redefines clean tech, Ethar is building decentralised solutions to address one of the planet's most pressing challenges: plastic waste. With a no-nonsense respect for science and a fearless disregard for tradition, Ethar has dedicated his career to transformative innovation. His expertise spans social accounting, helical economy design, and engineering decentralised care equipment factories.At TEDxLancasterU, he’ll unveil how small-scale, sustainable economic models can be the key to reducing plastic waste while empowering communities worldwide.What does “true sustainability” look like, and why isn’t B Corp certification enough? Ethar’s thought-provoking insights are set to challenge conventions and inspire change. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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