Although sustainability has entered the minds of more consumers, the end of single-use plastics in the U.S. is still likely years away. This article from Fast Company reports that only 9% of the 42 million tons of single-use plastic used by Americans annually gets recycled because of excessively large volumes and some types of plastic that aren’t recyclable. A startup called ByFusion has developed another mitigation strategy to address both issues. Using steam and compression, ByFusion’s machines meld plastics together to create ByBlocks, building blocks that can be used to build fences, retaining walls, bus stops and more. The method doesn’t require plastics to be cleaned or sorted beforehand, and provides a solution to unrecyclable plastics. ByFusion has a full production unit in Los Angeles that has repurposed 103 tons of plastic to date, and it is in the process of expanding and partnering with cities so they can turn their own plastic waste into building materials.