Forbes Under 30 Team Proposes a Recycled Renaissance in Detroit

The Forbes Under 30 Detroit Hackathon was held this past weekend as a “virtual collaboration to create enduring solutions for Detroit.” Held in partnership with the City of Detroit, Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans and Major League Hacking, the event focused on creating “more equitable and sustainable supply chains” for the city in the areas of plastic waste, food deserts, auto manufacturing and healthcare. 

The team working on plastic waste created a proposal called “The Recycled Renaissance - Detroit Block” that suggests plastic refuse be processed into “bricks” that could be used to construct new homes, playgrounds and roads. “Imagine if the plastic bottle you threw out became a part of the city,” said team member Lindon Gao. 

The team noted that, “Detroit’s renaissance has been spurred by an unprecedented level of construction. Detroit was built with one brick at a time. We believe the future of Detroit’s building block can be made with recycled plastic.” The team believes that the bricks can provide a cost effective option for construction projects and become a symbol of the Detroit community’s collaborative efforts.

One of the team’s ideas for sourcing waste suggests that the city offer a $5-per-ride Lyft credit for residents who are transporting recyclables to a local facility. 

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