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For me the moonshot problem I'd like to see solved would be trash. Literally! I've been to New York the first class world city where they pile plastic bags full

For me the moonshot problem I'd like to see solved would be trash. Literally! I've been to New York the first class world city where they pile plastic bags full of trash outside the houses and been to leafy suburbs in Europe where they put these bags in boxes and leave them outside too. Meanwhile in developing countries trash causes real pollution and health issues. But in all places it's people create waste and the waste accrues and then the waste then may be moved about. One possible solution for non recyclables would be some kind of composting / incineration-generation device to convert the trash into organics and/or electricity.

easytiger 8y ago
> composting / incineration-generation device to convert the trash into organics and/or electricity. This is extremely widespread and already industrialised.
- thinkingemote 8y ago
  Yes the solution would need to be better than these as the problem still exists.
jonwachob91 8y ago
Come up with something more formal and work on it! If you get some evidence of success you should submit it to YC and anyone else that will look at it! The world doesn't change b/c we will it to, the world changes b/c we take action!
prolepunk 8y ago
This is not a moonshot technological problem, but like climate change, this is more of a problem which everyone can solve with changing habits. It's not people who create waste but the manufacturers who in the best position to make waste reduction happen would rather offload the problem to consumers who can't do much about it. It's manufacturers who make non-standard containers, disposable plastic, unnecessary packaging, planned obsolescence etc... There are incineration power plants that already are in service but they produce more pollution than coal plants. This is not a technological but a social problem and if you want to have at it with a moonshot goal you would need to look at starting an activist organization and not a technology company. You might want to read a few recent article related to China banning US imports of garbage to get an idea about the scope of the problem.
SamReidHughes 8y ago
Or you could put the trash in trash bags and collect it frequently. That’s nothing a developing country can’t do.

easytiger 8y ago

> composting / incineration-generation device to convert the trash into organics and/or electricity. This is extremely widespread and already industrialised.

thinkingemote 8y ago
Yes the solution would need to be better than these as the problem still exists.

jonwachob91 8y ago

Come up with something more formal and work on it! If you get some evidence of success you should submit it to YC and anyone else that will look at it! The world doesn't change b/c we will it to, the world changes b/c we take action!

prolepunk 8y ago

This is not a moonshot technological problem, but like climate change, this is more of a problem which everyone can solve with changing habits. It's not people who create waste but the manufacturers who in the best position to make waste reduction happen would rather offload the problem to consumers who can't do much about it. It's manufacturers who make non-standard containers, disposable plastic, unnecessary packaging, planned obsolescence etc... There are incineration power plants that already are in service but they produce more pollution than coal plants. This is not a technological but a social problem and if you want to have at it with a moonshot goal you would need to look at starting an activist organization and not a technology company. You might want to read a few recent article related to China banning US imports of garbage to get an idea about the scope of the problem.

SamReidHughes 8y ago

Or you could put the trash in trash bags and collect it frequently. That’s nothing a developing country can’t do.