shredded plastic and clothing,

碎塑膠和衣服。

and it's about to be turned into bottles.

而它即將被變成瓶子。

We all know plastic waste is a problem.

我們都知道塑膠垃圾是個問題。

It can take up to 1,000 years to break down,

它可能需要1000年才能分解。

which can lead to things like this.

會導致這樣的事情發生。

Every year, manufacturers burn $80 to $120 billion

每年廠家燒掉800億到1200億的資金

worth of fossil fuels to make single-use plastic items,

價值的化石燃料來製造一次性塑料製品。

like water and soda bottles,

如水和汽水瓶。

meaning it's used once and then discarded.

意思是用過一次就丟掉了。

And even if it's recycled, that requires additional energy,

而且即使是回收，也需要額外的能源。

which releases even more greenhouse gases

排放更多的溫室氣體

into the atmosphere.

到大氣中。

One company rethinking all this

一家公司重新思考這一切

is Canadian-based Loop Industries.

是總部位於加拿大的Loop Industries。

Instead of using petroleum and natural gas,

而不是使用石油和天然氣。

Loop takes already existing plastic items

循環使用已有的塑料製品

along with polyester fiber materials,

以及聚酯纖維材料。

like carpets and T-shirts,

如地毯和T恤衫。

then breaks them down

然後將其分解

to be turned into new plastic products.

將變成新的塑料製品。

And the upside?

那上行呢？

It doesn't require the energy

它不需要能量

conventional recycling centers need,

傳統回收中心需要。

which helps reduce greenhouse gases.

這有助於減少溫室氣體。

Daniel Solomita: Not only are we using waste plastics,

Daniel Solomita:我們不僅使用廢塑料，

but we're using waste plastics that have no value today.

但我們現在使用的是沒有價值的廢塑料。

So, those are the plastics that end up

所以，這些都是塑膠，最終

in the ocean and your rivers and landfills,

在海洋、河流和垃圾填埋場。

because no one can do anything with the material.

因為沒有人可以對這些材料做任何事情。

So, Loop's technology is built to take

所以，Loop的技術是建立在把

very low-value material and create

價值很低的材料，並創造

a very high-value product out of it.

一個非常高價值的產品出來。

Narrator: This isn't really recycling; it's upcycling.

旁白：這不是真正的回收，而是升級再造。

This concept of upcycling has been around since the 1960s.

這種升級改造的概念從上世紀60年代就開始了。

However, it is traditionally done with heat and pressure.

然而，傳統上是用熱和壓力來完成的。

It's very expensive.

它是非常昂貴的。

So, how exactly does Loop's process work?

那麼，Loop的流程到底是怎樣的呢？

Solomita: Everyone else in the world that manufactures

索羅米塔。世界上其他製造的人

those two monomers starts from fossil fuels,

這兩種單體是從化石燃料開始的。

either natural gas or crude oil.

天然氣或原油。

We make the exact same petrochemicals,

我們製造的石化產品完全一樣。

except we don't use the petroleum; we use waste plastic.

除了我們不使用石油，我們使用廢塑料。

And then we rebuild those monomers

然後我們重建這些單體

back into brand new plastic.

回到全新的塑膠中。

Narrator: Imagine the waste plastic is a chocolate cake.

旁白：想象一下，廢塑料是一個巧克力蛋糕。

Loop's process pretty much breaks down the chocolate cake

Loop的過程幾乎把巧克力蛋糕分解了。

into its basic ingredients:

成其基本成分。

the eggs, the flour, the sugar, and the chocolate.

雞蛋，麵粉，糖和巧克力。

Each ingredient is broken down

每種成分都被分解為

and separated into its purest form.

並分離成最純粹的形式。

For our cake metaphor, that means going so far

對於我們的蛋糕比喻，這意味著要走這麼遠的路

as putting the egg back in its shell.

如同把雞蛋放回殼裡。

Then, Loop takes the purified ingredients

然後，Loop將純化的成分

and bakes a brand new cake.

並烤出一個全新的蛋糕。

To start, they load these massive reactors

首先，他們將這些巨大的反應堆裝入

with a bunch of waste plastic

與一堆廢塑料

and add in Loop's own proprietary catalyst.

並加入Loop自己的專利催化劑。

Solomita: What our catalyst that we've developed does

索羅米塔。我們開發的催化劑是什麼？

is it goes in and it cuts the bonds

是它進入和它削減債券

between those two chemicals and releases them.

在這兩種化學品之間，並釋放它們。

Narrator: The catalyst breaks down the waste

旁白：催化劑會分解廢物

into its two base monomers:

成其兩個基礎單體。

DMT, dimethyl terephthalate,

DMT，對苯二甲酸二甲酯；

and MEG, monoethylene glycol.

和MEG，單乙二醇。

After that, the separated DMT and MEG monomers

之後，分離出DMT和MEG單體。

are purified to remove additives, like dye.

淨化，以去除添加劑，如染料。

The purified DMT and MEG are then turned back

然後將純化的DMT和MEG轉回。

into PET, polyethylene terephthalate,

成PET，聚對苯二甲酸乙二醇酯。

which is the base material for many plastic products.

它是許多塑料產品的基礎材料。

These PET pellets are then sold

然後將這些PET顆粒出售

to bottling and packaging companies.

到裝瓶和包裝公司。

The pellets are loaded into their machines,

顆粒被裝進他們的機器裡。

which molds them into the final packaging shape.

將它們塑造成最終的包裝形狀。

And after it's used as a plastic water bottle,

而在它被用作塑膠水瓶之後。

color container, polyester fiber, or more,

色容器、聚酯纖維或更多。

it can be broken down and built back up again,

它可以被打破並重新建立起來。

a continuous cycle that doesn't require fossil fuels.

一個不需要化石燃料的連續循環。

Loop's finished products are currently being used

目前，Loop的成品被用於

by Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and Evian.

由百事可樂、可口可樂和依雲。

And they're currently building their first

而他們目前正在建造他們的第一個

American facility in South Carolina.

美國在南卡羅來納州的工廠。

Let's hope it's sustainable enough to make this disappear.

希望它的可持續性足以讓這種情況消失。