In a significant development, the Atlas Building Composites, a spinout of Massachusetts Institute of Technology are turning millions of plastic bottles to homes, bridges and decks using AI-powered robots. Single-use plastic from water bottles and other items is first shredded and then fed into the Atlas system, where the plastic is melted and mixed with American-made fiberglass. This makes the material stronger than wood. The material is then used in a large-scale 3D printer to make building parts, including trusses for floors, walls, roofs and bridges.