Today’s Solutions: February 22, 2026

Americans use about 50 billion plastic water bottles each year and 38 of those end up in landfills, where they can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. But in a matter of weeks, a recycled water bottle can be made into a lumber alternative, polyester, stadium seating, car parts—or even a dress fit for a gala as actress Emma Watson recently did at the Met Gala. Water bottles can also be repurposed into a fabric called Eudae which is created out of eucalyptus plants, recycled plastic, and Tencel, a sustainable fiber made from wood. And General Motors recently announced that it will use employees’ recycled bottles to create the noise-reducing fabric insulators that cover the Chevrolet Equinox v6 engine.

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