We make more than a billion pairs of jeans every year. Like most clothing, the vast majority ends up in landfills. In Pakistan, which imports more used clothing than any other nation, one company has figured out a way to recycle old denim, saving water and energy.

Lotion, toothpaste, and make-up packaging are a recycling disaster, but one UK family business has a complex process to give it a new life. It makes plywood-like boards that can be used to make all kinds of furniture.

Polyester is one of the most popular fabrics in the world. Made from PET plastic, it is prized for its durability, lightness, and low cost of production. While these characteristics make it ideal for various uses across the textile industry, the oversupply of polyester has also fueled an environmental disaster.

Hotels throw out millions of used bars of soap every year. But two groups, one in Florida and one in France, collect the old bars and recycle them into brand new ones for people in need. The simple act of hand-washing with soap could help save 700 children a day.

Cardboard has a high recycling rate in the US. But it can't be reused forever, so the massive paper companies that make it also consume millions of trees each year.