The discovery of plastics in the early 20th century catapulted humanity forward with unimaginable momentum. Affordable, convenient, and durable; they seemed perfect. A century later, we are now scrambling for answers to the consequences of our own actions- overconsumption. However, there is a solution on the horizon. Join in to find out what the missing piece of the puzzle is. Video produced by Apehouse (www.apehouse.at). William Richard Acres was raised in the UK and Austria. Following secondary education, he moved to Vienna to pursue a degree in chemical engineering at TU Wien. William's passion for public speaking first emerged when he won a state-level competition around the age of 16 and since then, he has used this talent in various aspects of his life and career. Most recently, he completed a six-month internship at OMV , where he focused on circular economy solutions. William has found his calling in what he calls “sustainable profitability”, the practice of combining sustainability, technology and economics. When he isn’t studying or working, he likes to keep fit by lifting and running.Fun fact: William served two years in the Austrian armed forces before attending university and currently holds the rank of sergeant in the reserves. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx