Solutions are in the making

The innovative start-up Thread International transforms plastic bottles into responsible fabric. Thread helps clean the environment and cure poverty by providing income to bottle collectors in Haiti and Honduras. Thanks to this initiative, 38.9 million plastic bottles have been removed from the streets and canals.

Coca Cola introduced its PlantBottle™ in 2009. Since then 35 billion of these bottles have been distributed in nearly 40 countries . Through the PlantBottle, Coca Cola is reducing its carbon footprint as it is made partially (with an objective of 100%) from plants. The company plans to convert all new PET plastic bottles to PlantBottle packaging by 2020.

When it comes to packaging, the fresh handmade cosmetics company wants to “get naked”. Fifty percent of their products are sold without packaging and thanks to their recycling program, 100% of their packaging is made out of post-consumer plastic. This initiative saves up to 65 tons of carbon dioxide and 90 tonnes of virgin plastic each year.

A recently discovered bacterium contains an enzyme called PETase that has the ability to destroy the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that makes up plastic bottles. Specifically, it breaks down the PET into its original components, consequently, the goal would be to reuse these components to produce plastic again. This bacterium cannot currently be used at the industrial level, but according to Professor John McGeehan who participates in this study, it can still be optimized. But the process will still be very slow and cannot alone remedy our excessive pollution.

Terracycle’s mission is to recycle and upcycle the "non-recyclable". The company sells a Zero Waste Box made exclusively for plastic that you can fill and return in order to have your waste recycled. Terracycle was created after its CEO, Tom Szaky, had the idea to sell worm poop as a fertilizer in reused soda bottles, which turned out to be a great success.