The Problem Each year, the world produces more than 380 million tons of plastic. Most of it is used just once, then thrown away. Grocery bags, food packaging, shipping materials, and containers made from polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) account for nearly 60% of all plastics produced, but only a small fraction is effectively recycled. The most common approach of recycling, mechanical recycling, gradually lowers the quality of plastic each time it is reused. Eventuall
