Polly Ethylene and Tara Phthalate
Back to Supporting Cast Main > Polly Ethylene and Tara Phthalate
Real Identity: Polly Ethylene and Tara Phthalate
Appearances: Polly Ethylene and Tara Phthalate
Powers/Skills: Molecular Manipulation and Levitation
Voiced By: Hynden Walch and Tara Strong
Polly Ethylene and Tara Phthalate are a pair of magical molecules that form P.E.T.E., the most versatile plastic on the planet, when they combine and can turn into various objects. They washed ashore Titans Island as two plastic bottles and engaged the Teen Titans after they failed to clean up their beach of trash from the Great Garbage Patch. They revealed their true forms and introduced themselves. They then demonstrated their powers and turned into a playground, thermobond packaging and ugly holiday sweaters. Beast Boy thought they were wizards but they insisted it was only possible through the power of recycling. Polly Ethylene and Tara Phthalate took the Teen Titans to the Jump City Recycling Plant to teach them about the power of recycling. They showed them the conveyor belt where plastic bottles were fed into a machine to remove their waste, like labels, stray pieces of metal and any form of contaminated plastic. Beast Boy thought it was poop at first until Tara corrected him. Starfire asked how plastic could get contaminated. Polly explained any exposure to dirt or toxic substances led to contamination. Tara added that was why it was important for trash and plastics to be separated.
Polly then explained the plastic was taken to another machine to be washed and dried. Cyborg and Starfire asked if Robin could be washed in it, too. When Robin lifted his arm to smell, Beast Boy pushed him into the machine. He and the plastic were chopped up and melted into tiny pellets to be made into new products like carpets, furniture, or tote bags. Polly and Tara used their powers to shift Robin into the various products and then back into his normal body. They then taught them how to do simple recycling at home like cutting a soda bottle in half and using it as a planter. Robin asked why plastic was still ending up in the ocean. Polly revealed only nine percent of plastic waste gets recycled. The Titans were shocked. Tara told them the rest of the waste ends up in the Great Garbage Patch, a moving island of trash. Robin realized that was the source of the trash washing up on the Titans' island. They agreed to take the Titans to the island but warned them of an evil warlord who only granted entrance to garbage.
Robin didn't think that would be a problem. Cyborg informed Polly and Tara everyone thought they were garbage since the reboot started. The Teen Titans took the T-Boat to the Great Garbage Patch with Polly Ethylene and Tara Phthalate. The automated cannons activated upon their approach. The Titans were scanned, verified as garbage, and allowed onto the island. Major A.B.S. was confronted by the Titans. He revealed the island was only the surface of his super weapon, the Contaminator and activated it. Polly Ethylene and Tara Phthalate turned into a couch which Cyborg chucked into the Contaminator's truck cockpit. They turned into a tote bag next. Raven and Starfire scooped up trash with it then Beast Boy turned into wolf and clamped down on the bag to rig a sling shot. The trash was slung onto the truck cockpit's windshield. They turned into a carpet next. The Contaminator landed on top of it. Robin and Cyborg yanked the carpet away and the machine fell on its butt. Before Polly Ethylene and Tara Phthalate could transform again, the Contaminator fired toxic waste on them. Their powers were nullified and they could no longer transform.
Major A.B.S. called them pathetic recyclers. The Titans countered he was a recycler for giving new purpose to the island's waste to make a super weapon. A.B.S. teared up and realized they were right and there was more to recycling than he thought. The island and Contaminator were recycled for various things on the Titans' island like a bed of sunflowers, a bench, a table, a gazebo, fledgers, and bird feeders. The Titans, A.B.S., Polly, and Tara toasted to their success, unaware the rest of the world was in dire straits.