A chemical recycling plant in Germany is taking old tires and turning them back into their original components. From there, those materials can be used in the production of insulation, steel, and oil. The gas that is discharged during the process is also used to power the whole plant. Other plants around the world are also exploring how to take plastic waste and chemically recycle it instead of burning it, so there are less carbon emissions.

Infinitum, a Norwegian company, aims to create a never-ending loop of plastic reuse and their deposit hub recycles 97 percent of the country’s plastic drink bottles. While critics question the focus on continuing to produce plastic since it relies on fossil fuels, similar collection schemes in other countries could reduce plastic waste.

What do you get when you combine the efforts of an engineering company with an energy company? In the Netherlands, you get a new type of environmentally sustainable roads. PlasticRoads, a piloted initiative in the city of Zwolle, uses discarded plastic to build bike paths that help cut down on plastic waste.

Rotterdam’s new Floating Park showcases how recycling can be put to use. Litter traps collect plastic from the river to prevent it from going into the ocean. Then, the plastic is recycled into hexagonal pods that are used as building materials for the floating park - creating spaces to sit, walk, and grow plants. Supported by the Recycled Island Foundation, this floating park is ideally going to be the first of many.

Thread is a social enterprise out of Pittsburgh taking a two-for-one approach to the issues of both poverty and pollution in Haiti. They help take plastic waste out of the environment by turning it into durable fabrics that are sold to clothing and accessory companies looking to source responsible materials, and they create sustainable jobs for Haitians who collect and process the plastic waste.

The recycling economy is helping Ivory Coast overcome a building shortage and create jobs. The Fighting Women, a community organization in Abidjan, collect plastic waste to resell to manufacturers. In partnership with UNICEF, the Columbian company, Conceptos Plásticos purchases plastic waste from the Women and recycles it into bricks, which are used to construct classrooms.