I produced, reported and edited the three stories below, which were broadcast as a long-format program during Urdu VOA's regular slot.
Plastics are as ubiquitous as visitors to DC during the summer months. And that's because plastics can be turned into just about any kind of portable food packaging one can imagine. While plastic packaging generates a large volume of waste, they continue to be used in pretty much every industry under the sun. I spoke to Steve Russell from the American Chemistry council about the pros and cons of letting plastics run the show.
Witnessing the devastation in the wake of the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan inspired architect Azmat Zaidi to seek a solution in plastics: Reusable modular housing that could easily be made to order and airlifted to areas affected by natural disaster to provide comfortable housing to affectees or refugees. He spoke to me about his dream of ultimately making affordable housing solutions possible, through an innovative use of styrofoam material.
The popularity of plastics means we are also saddled with non-biodegradable waste in overflowing landfills and choking up our seas. But innovations in using recycled plastics are turning these nightmarish plastic mountains into the building blocks of our modern cities. Our cars. Our sidewalks. So how do we get people to recycle more and waste less? The answer lies in educational outreach and awareness campaigns.
