Plastic has become increasingly common in our lives ever since the 1960s. Its status as a cheap, widely-applicable, and single-use material has resulted in annual production of over 400 million metric tons, and that number is still predicted to grow. Yet, less than 10% of plastic ever created has been recycled. And when plastic is not recycled, it is either burned, put in a landfill, or becomes part of the growing issue of plastic pollution.