October 23, 2014 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1nzAz7q. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. “There is a tendency amongst environmentally minded people to view plastics as evil. But they have revolutionized our lives and are here to stay. What is most important is how we use them and how we reuse them – closing the loop rather than dumping them in the oceans to kill marine life,” says noted conservationist and scientist Dr. Nicholas Hill from the Zoological Society of London. He points out that “Unlikely partnerships can sometimes be the most inspiring and innovative.” Apparently, he was thinking about the Zoo’s partnership with Interface TILE -0.8%, Inc., which claims to be the world’s largest modular carpet manufacturer. Together, they are working in partnership called “Net-Works” to eliminate the global marine hazard of discarded fishing nets. “ The nets, which would otherwise last for 600 years and are the world’s largest and cleanest source of post-consumer nylon, are regenerated into nylon yarn Interface uses to produce carpet tiles. The program is established in poor coastal Philippines villages where marine life and reefs are endangered and has helped 4,500 villagers earn supplemental income equal to 84,000 additional meals. The United Nations has conservatively estimated that 640,000 tons of fishing gear are left in the oceans each year,” a spokesperson explained.
#141: Unlikely Partnership Yields Social And Environmental Impact