Narrator: This pile of scraps is actually shredded plastic and clothing, and it's about to be turned into bottles.
We all know plastic waste is a problem.
It can take up to 1,000 years to break down, which can lead to things like this.
Every year, manufacturers burn $80 to $120 billion worth of fossil fuels to make single-use plastic items, like water and soda bottles, meaning it's used once and then discarded.
And even if it's recycled, that requires additional energy, which releases even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
One company rethinking all this is Canadian-based Loop Industries.
Instead of using petroleum and natural gas,
Loop takes already existing plastic items along with polyester fiber materials, like carpets and T-shirts, then breaks them down to be turned into new plastic products.
And the upside?
It doesn't require the energy conventional recycling centers need, which helps reduce greenhouse gases.
