Worshippers in India buy thousands of tons of flowers every day to give as offerings in temples. The rituals leave behind mountains of flower waste that often end up contaminating already troubled rivers.
The Philippines is the second-largest producer of coconuts in the world. An estimated 9 billion husks are burned or left to rot here every year. Fortuna Cools makes coolers out of that waste instead of the commonly used expanded polystyrene foam, often incorrectly called styrofoam.
More than 50 billion shoes are made every year. The biggest manufacturers, like Nike, Adidas, and Asics, make them durable enough to run hundreds of miles. But this also makes them incredibly expensive and difficult to recycle.
In 2007, Israel set up blockades around the Gaza Strip, claiming that many everyday items could also be used to make weapons.
Waste tires can act as breeding grounds for malaria and cause fires. One Nigerian aims to recycle every one of her country's discarded tires.