Issue 4 2020

Acquisition International - Issue 4 2020 11 Jan20330 ingle-use plastics are undoubtedly the Achilles heel of the environment, damaging it in ways that are irreparable, beyond what many of us can even fathom. Releasing harmful toxins, poisoning food chains, and killing more than one hundred million marine mammals every year, plastic is a deadly serious issue. In a truly heart-breaking statistic, the World Economic Forum has predicted that there may be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans by the year 2050. This is an issue that needs addressing now. One of the biggest perpetrators in this fight remains single-use plastic bottles, many of which find their way back to natural areas and end up killing animals, stifling wildlife growth, or choking habitats. On top of the bottles, literally, is another dangerous material; the tops. Plastic bottle tops are also one of the biggest contributors to plastic pollution, and are amongst the top five items found on most beaches when cleaning and litter picking. However, one man is determined to do something about it in an ingenious fashion. British inventor Dr William Johnson is the mind behind ToPo®, a recyclable screw-top for bottles, that doubles as a colourful collectible toy. Not only is the design suitable for most bottle-types in a bid to reduce plastic bottle-top wastage, but the playful element also adds an educational aspect for young children in a learning phase of their development. Designed to operate similarly to the world-famous building blocks of Lego, each ToPo® bottle top can interconnect vertically and horizontally to provide inquisitive children with a world of opportunity. From architectural models to word and number games, to messages and wall-hanging mosaic pictures, the possibilities for ToPo®’s usage are limited only by a child’s imagination. In order to construct many of the things that a child can imagine however, there must be quite a number of ToPo® bottle tops present. Therein lies an incentive to not throw them away; collectability for the sake of play. You can share them with friends and family, and if they still become too many, then Dr Johnson has ensured that the ToPo® is fully recyclable. Coca Cola produces approximately 200,000 bottles every single minute, contributing to just over two billion every single week. In a global audit in 2019, it was found to be the most pollutive brand, generating up to three million tonnes of plastic packaging every year. As Coca Cola’s head of sustainability Bea Perez says that the firm will not ditch single-use plastic bottles, the need for global recognition of Dr Johnson’s work is more prevalent than ever. Just imagine the difference that the world would notice in the reduction of plastic bottle tops if the switch was made to ToPo® for every single one of those two billion bottles. Consider what it would look like if a ToPo® bottle lid made its way on to even more bottles in S As global temperatures rise and plastics plague more of our oceans than ever before, the world is actively looking for a solution. Step forth British inventor and environmental champion, Dr William Johnson. His latest invention, the ToPo®, could be the answer that the world has been searching for. After winning the Acquisition International 2020 Award for Innovation in Sustainable Packaging Solutions – USA, we examine ToPo®, and the ongoing work of Dr Johnson in protecting the world against climate change. Reducing Plastic Waste One Screw-Top Twist At A Time the world. Businesses would save plastic production costs on bottle tops, the environment would benefit from less plastic pollution, and children all around the world would be able to engage with recyclable building blocks that enabled greater education around environmental protection. In his latest efforts to sToPollution®, Dr Johnson’s most recent invention could also be one of his most vital. After a year in which ToPo® won a string of prestigious awards, now is the time for action. sToPollution® is far more than a trendy trademarked name; it is a call to arms for everybody to do their bit in helping to protect the environment, one bottle top at a time. Company: The ToPo ® Company Contact: Dr William Johnson Website: www.topobottle.com/index.html