Though many cities, states and countries have banned plastic bags, it doesn't mean they're going anywhere any time soon. Besides the billions that are currently in circulation, there are billions more in landfills and in our oceans. And until someone comes up with a better solution to rid the planet of them, that's where they'll stay.
Japanese inventor Akinori Ito claims to have that solution. He has created a machine that can turn plastic bags into fuel. Plastic bags are made from crude oil, after all, and Ito's machine can revert the plastic to its original state.
This article appears in Feb 10-16, 2011.