2020-Sep-15

Did you know? You can share this story using the social media icons on the upper left. Use the hashtag #WeAreCisco. You can also rate or comment on the story below.

Rethinking Trash for World Cleanup Day

BY ISABELLA KAZMIER, CATHERINE PAQUETTE, AND LESLEY PAULSON · GREEN TEAM · RTP AND BEDFONT LAKES

Waste, especially plastic waste, is a really big problem.

Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years, but plastic takes over an estimated 400 years to break down.

“Won’t it get recycled?” you ask. Unfortunately, it may not.

Currently only about 9 percent of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled. And if current trends continue, our oceans could contain more plastic than fish by 2050.

One of the ways we can reduce the amount of trash in our landfills and oceans is by buying used and repurposing items that already exist, instead of buying new items.

In honor of World Cleanup Day on September 19, our green teams across the world hosted a Cisco-wide competition where you could share how you repurpose items into something new!

The competition had two categories: Upcycled Art and Innovation.

Our Upcycled Art winner was Elizabeth Savage from North Carolina, who created these amazing pieces from waste. For a few years in her free time, Elizabeth has been making creatures from found objects.

Elizabeth said, “There are many, many people doing this type of thing, so hopefully it will inspire people to start seeing a use for discarded objects.” She recommends checking out creative reuse centers near you, to find resources for your project.

The innovation category was designed to repurpose items into something new and useful. Sus Pastor Oms from Spain and Rowan Chernin from the U.K. tied for first place in this category.

Sus Pastor Oms decided to improvise in a really creative way when her nephews came to visit. She transformed large carton boxes left over from furniture and toilet and kitchen paper rolls into a farm and farm animals.

Rowan Chernin also had to get creative during COVID-19 when shops sold out of flowerpots. Instead of using flowerpots, Rowan used toilet paper rolls for growing courgettes — or zucchini — until they were ready to be buried into the garden.

This biodegradable solution allows you to directly plant your greenery in the ground, without having to remove them from a starter pot.

You can see our other submission in the Global Green Team Network Webex Teams Room.

We hope that these amazing trash art pieces encourage you to be more aware of your trash’s impact.

Why don’t you make a pledge on World Cleanup Day? Make it a habit to pick up a piece of trash on your next walk. Take a bag with you and pick up more — your planet will thank you! Don’t forget to use gloves and always wash your hands after.

Related Links

Check out these links to learn more about waste and plastic pollution.

• UN Environment: Plastic pollution
• National Geographic: Plastic trash flowing into the seas will nearly triple by 2040
• The World Counts: Tons of waste dumped

 

Here is how Cisco is helping to combat waste in our operations, products, and supply chain.

• Cisco Announces Goals for Sustainable Packaging and Zero Waste
• Creating a Zero Waste Campus at Cisco Raleigh
• Cisco Celebrates Earth Day with Re-Launch of Product Takeback and Reuse Program
• Annual Corporate Social Responsibility report

---

Connect everything. Innovate everywhere. Benefit everyone.