While plastics have given us a lot—everything from lifesaving medical devices to twisty straws for our summer ice tea—these magical materials present a big problem: There’s really no good solution for what to do with them, after we’re done using the product. To make matters worse, the life expectancy of the average plastic product is less than a year, meaning so many of these items are used once and tossed away. Enter Spectalite, a Michigan-based, women-owned, advanced engineering and materials manufacturer, specializing in bamboo fiber composite plastics. This week on the blog, Spectalite CEO Kylee Guenther discusses how her company is making a difference by helping customers find new and sustainable materials for their products while helping reduce plastic waste.