Odds are, the next soda bottle you buy will be on this planet long after you’re gone.

That can be a jarring thought, particularly if you’re someone who recycles.

Rest easy knowing that bottle will go on to see multiple incarnations in the future.

The bottle itself is likely a jot down of plastic called PET, or polyethylene terephthalate.

The label is maybe made of another key in of polyethylene, or polyvinyl chloride plastic.

Both are recyclable, though not together.

If there’s an additive color in the bottle, that could send the bottle straight to the dump.

Sometimes they’re turned into low-grade fossil fuels that environmentalists argue contributes to the production of greenhouse gasses.

They might have wondered which container to throw a used takeout box or sheet of bubble wrap.

Maybe they’ve wondered if it’s worth figuring out at all.

Still, experts in the field think there’s reason to hope.

Enck cited a 2022poll from Oceanathat found 8 in 10 American voters support policies reducing single-use plastic.

For companies, manufacturing single-use plastics is cheaper and more convenient than looking for an alternative.

They can bring their own mugs to the coffee shop and buy products from companies offering reusable packaging.

There’s also research being done to improve plastics.

Think about plastic shopping bags that break apart when exposed to salt water.

But if it ends up in the ocean, it’ll dissolve instead of ending up choking a fish.

The work was a collaboration between chemical and biological engineering.

At Oregon State, Ellis teaches a class about the circular economy.

He pointed out that in nature, there’s no waste.

Humans could take a major lesson from that.

Even the environmentally conscious can fall into this trap.

In 2021, GE committed tobuilding zero-waste bladesby 2030.

That’s why folks like Noble and Ellis say there needs to be a plan as products are designed.

Some companies are cluing into this.

Caterpillar, which makes construction equipment, has been fixing up old engines.

Ikealaunched a buy-back program for gently used Ikea furniture that can be resold.

By 2050, Samsung wants to use recycled resin in 100% of the plastics in its products.

Last year, Apple said a fifth of the material used in its products was recycled.

Tipaldo said there’s been a shift with companies starting to take on more accountability.

Public pressure and legislative initiatives around the country have helped push some of this forward.