The same properties that make plastics so useful—their durability and resistance to degradation—also make them nearly impossible for nature to completely break down. But we can turn to chemical recycling: breaking down plastics to their molecular components, particularly hydrogen and carbon (the building blocks of fuels), through techniques like depolymerization, pyrolysis, and gasification.

While consumers might express concerns for the environmental impacts of disposable plastic bottles, these do not translate to major changes in purchasing behaviour. In other words, knowing that plastic bottles pollute our environment isn’t enough to stop people buying water in plastic bottles. Without intervention, the popularity of bottled water seems unlikely to weaken.