Though recycling has bin an imperfect practice at times, it always makes us happy to learn about different advancements that continuously improve this planet-saving process. In this episode of TWT, Jackie travels to California to learn about advancements in recycling. Though polystyrene hasn’t been easy to recycle in the past, Jackie learns about a partnership between Agilyx and AmSty who have worked together to create a recycling process for these materials. Through the process, they’re able to recreate polystyrene products with a high level of purity so they can be recycled back into our system as egg cartons and packing peanuts. George and Jackie were both ecstatic to learn about a system working to fix one of the world’s biggest recycling problems, but there are also ways to make your own additional impact by repurposing polystyrene and plastic products:

Use styrofoam pellets for planters

For any green thumbs out there who use planters, you’ll likely know that you typically use heavy rocks at the bottom and then layer the soil on top in order to help with drainage. Well, you can actually use styrofoam pellets (which contain the polystyrene we learned about in this episode) as a replacement for these stones. Simply shake a small layer onto the bottom of your planter and then fill the rest with soil like normal. Not only are you helping the environment by reusing the styrofoam, but it’ll also make your planters much lighter to carry!

Turn plastic bottles into pencil holders

Nowadays, we try to avoid these as much as possible. If you do partake, however, instead of tossing it when you’re done, cut it in half, place a layer of tape around the top edge, and turn it into a handy cup you can use to hold your pens and pencils at your desk. You can even paint or decorate it with colored tape to give it more of your personality.

Laundry detergent turned beach bucket

This one is super easy and perfect for busy parents who also want to do their part. You likely go through a lot of laundry detergent as a family, so when you inevitably run out, simply cut off the very bottom of the bucket and, eureka, your kids have a neat little sand scooper/bucket that you can take on your next beach vacation.

Plastic bottle blast off!

With today’s tech-centric toys, you may have trouble getting your kids to play outside. But, trust us, your child’s imagination will ignite with this fun and environmentally friendly DIY project. With just some felt, spray paint, a piece of cardboard, and some leftover soda bottles- your child will be outside and blasting into outer space!