As an environmental crisis scales to epic proportions, government and private sectors band together for a solution.
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The Commercial Sector
OMNIPRESENT plastics have such a low recycling rate that our oceans and landfills are burgeoning with non-biodegradable waste. Their production and disposal impact the climate and world health. Every fish in the sea and every civilized human has trace amounts of plastics within them. With calls to reduce production ignored, drastic measures are imperative. That’s why I have called this meeting with prominent plastic CEOs and snack food manufacturers,” then Ivan Wentworth, the chairman of one such company stresses.
“My solution is simple. We all chip in to form the most advanced recycling company, reaping tremendous profits. This company will convert plastics into tiny sterilized pellets that become the basis for textiles and edible snacks.”
The boardroom of twenty executives begins to balk. One notes, “Each plastics manufacturer already offers some type of recycling program.”
Ivan stresses, “Yes, and collectively, we recover less than 10 percent of what we produce.”
A food manufacturer protests, “Edibles will raise nutritional concerns among governments and consumers.”
“As high-fructose corn syrup replaced sugar and every natural flavor has become artificial, we can market this new product as an emulsifier that increases satiation. Because it doesn’t break down, a sense of fullness results in weight loss.”
“Won’t that cannibalize sales? We intentionally develop flavorful empty calories without satiation to sell more product.”
“If you allow this company to become a competitor, it will reduce your profits. However, if you are a major shareholder, it’s like taking a dollar from one pocket and placing two in the other.”
The room pauses when Tammy points out the major loss of a class action lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company. “They manufacture talcum powder and lost billions of dollars. Imagine the danger of ingesting toxic products.”
“Thank you, Tammy, for that poignant observation,” Ivan responds. “None of us should be naive about potential litigation. Our lawyers are fighting thousands of lawsuits while we sit here today. We have the collective resources to prevail while continuing our lobbying efforts.”
Marty, one of the largest plastic producers in the country, speaks up, “Do you really plan to convince the public that consuming plastic is nutritious? With the knowledge of ingredients used during manufacturing, Tammy’s objection concerns me enough to exclude myself from the venture.” He pauses, scanning the room. “You didn’t address government restrictions.”
Ivan responds calmly, “The governments have no solution to the plastic crisis. When we back up our claims with clinical studies, they will be happy to take credit for approving an ingredient that makes citizens healthier while reducing the number of plastics in the landfills.”
After several hours of intense debate, with executives raising concerns about potential litigation, government restrictions, and the health impacts of edible plastics, the objections begin to lose steam. Ivan responds to each point with calculated assurances, emphasizing the potential profits and the positive public image of tackling the plastic crisis. Eventually, the overwhelming benefits sway the room. A vote unanimously results in the formation of a new company called Plasnax.
Major challenges include the massive size of the first plant and the storage of the product until it is legal to distribute. Scientists also experiment with an acceptable size of the pellets so that they pass through the digestive system without entering the bloodstream.
AI technology accelerates development. In five years, it is up and running, converting 40 percent of United States plastic output to reusable pellets that have gone through various stages of clinical trials. Plasnax is now ready to petition government approval for human consumption.
Government Considerations
The World Health Organization, the United States FDA, and the European Food Safety Authority all examine the research with the proposal. Although the decisions of one organization are not incumbent upon the others, there is enough optimism for a race to adopt the plan.
A unanimous announcement within the same year could have far-reaching effects on the entire World. Government agencies begin internal research with the goal of fast-tracking approval. After one year, the supply of Plasnax pellets makes its way into the snack industry with a marketing push to save the planet by eating healthier.
Easily recyclable plastics replace the term single-use plastics. Profits soar, and for the first decade, obesity declines. However, long-range effects begin to manifest themselves. The process of combining different compositions of plastics into a single product manifests carcinogenic toxicities.
Plasnax improves its filters without 100 percent reliability. Government and commercial sectors face the choice of halting production or minimizing impact. More clinical studies funded by Plasnax find that harmful effects align with preexisting conditions and are statistically insignificant.
Consumer Reaction
Early adopters are crunchy toppings for everything bagels and donut sprinkles. Hard candies follow. Then food manufacturers combine Plasnax with corn for puffy snacks in a variety of sodium-rich flavors.
As a whole, most consumers pay little attention to the long list of snack ingredients. However, those who develop health issues begin taking a second look. Several noteworthy families find themselves in the news headlines.
Thirty-one-year-old Dorothy Myers has no family history of cancer. Yet, at such a young age, she is in a battle for her life after consuming Plasnax products to lose weight. Sylvia Turner, likewise, saw dramatic weight loss that resulted in a mastectomy after breast cancer detection in her mid-thirties. John Doe prefers to keep his name from the public during his battle with prostate cancer in his forties. His family history of cancer has typically manifested itself after 60 years of age.
Legal Battle
Dorothy, Sylvia, and John become the primary names in a class-action lawsuit against Plasnax. Defense attorneys offer two options to their clients. The first is to settle out of court. The second is to extend litigation for longer than the plaintiffs can survive. Oftentimes, the options work best in tandem as litigants see their health decline.
Ivan asks, “What about the potential for more lawsuits?”
Attorneys reply, “Many complaints will join this class action and be bound by the resolution. Future litigants will look to the outcome as a precedent, so extending the ruling has advantages. Either way, the criticism will pass as it did with complaints against artificial sweeteners.”
Expert witnesses on both sides neutralize arguments. Defense attorneys immediately credit John Doe because of his cancerous family history and he does not survive through the litigation. Five years into the trial, Dorothy makes an impassioned plea as the strongest witness. She calls herself an innocent victim of the marketing message to have a better body. Instead, she has one that will die within a matter of months. Her husband takes the stand, saying, “I don’t know how to raise our two daughters without their mother. This is a death sentence to our entire family.”
Noticing the weight of such testimony, defense attorneys offer a low-ball settlement that litigants cumulatively refuse. Lawyers for Plasnax decline their significant counteroffer.
Sylvia enters the courtroom wearing a halter top highlighting breast asymmetry that strikes an emotional cord among jurors. She tells the story of her hair loss and a wedding engagement that ended when her appearance deteriorated. Sylvia concludes with the words, “News of remission is no consolation for the devastation of my life and missed opportunity to raise a family.”
The 10-year civil lawsuit prevails in a lower court but not on appeal. During all this time, millions of people consume tons of plastic. Advertising campaigns depict images of clean air while touting more fit citizens to push profits higher than anyone could imagine. The true effects will not unfold until more decades pass. How would you react to Plasnax as a solution to obesity and environmental concerns?
The End
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