Today’s Solutions: January 13, 2025

The staggering amount of disposable plastic that the world consumes is one of today’s most pressing environmental threats. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, there could be more plastic than fish (by weight) in the ocean by 2050, if current plastic disposal trends continue. In fact, out of the 480 billion plastic bottles produced annually, only 14 percent is collected for recycling.

A French-Israeli entrepreneur, however, has come up with a simple solution to recycling challenges posed by large quantities of plastic bottles— a biodegradable rubber band.

Morris Amsellem, CEO of waste solution company Ecoams Planet, on Monday, revealed Bakbuk: a revolutionary way to recycle, allowing consumers and beverage manufacturers to easily collapse plastic bottles to make the recycling process easier.

The uncomplicated solution involves a biodegradable rubber band tied around a particular part of the bottle, which helps consumers easily fold their empty bottles and reduce its volume by 80 percent. The volume reduction will allow anxious recyclers to save space and reduce the frequency needed to deposit waste in the recycling container or travel to the waste center.

This ingenious solution has already been patented in 14 countries, and the company is currently negotiating the introduction of this method in the production of bottles that sell well-known brands.

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