Single Stream takes a close look at the problem of
waste through a visual and sonic exploration of a recycling facility. The title
refers to the "single stream" method of recycling in which all types of
recyclables are initially gathered together and sorted later at a specialized
facility. Viewers enter one of the largest of these materials recovery
facilities in the U.S. Inside a cavernous building, a vast machine complex runs
like clockwork, sorting a steady stream of glass, metal, paper, and plastic
carried on conveyor belts criss-crossing the space, dotted with workers in neon
vests.