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3 Mins Read New findings from a Deutsche Welle investigation show that despite a growing number of plastic commitments made by European companies, many are failing to deliver. Two dozen European-based companies have made nearly 100 plastic commitments in the last 20 years. But 68 percent of 37 of those commitments have not been delivered or even reported […]
5 Mins Read By: Céline Louche, Delphine Gibassier & Jennifer Goodman “Plastic-free aisle”, “No plastic straws”, “Plastic-free Tuesday”. Social media abounds with anti-plastic messages and chilling statistics about the quantity of plastic in our oceans, food, clothes and bodies flash before us in quick succession. Shocking images that circulate widely provoke emotions and generate momentum for action on plastic. […]
3 Mins Read Samples of beef and pork from the Netherlands contain surprising levels of microplastic contamination, according to new research. A pilot study conducted by scientists at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA), working for the Plastic Soup Foundation, say they’ve found microplastics in beef and pork and in the blood of farm animals for the first time. […]
3 Mins Read Aggressive new California legislation passed and signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom will help the state dramatically cut down on its single-use plastic over the next decade. And, it hopes, set a new precedent for the rest of the country. Under the newly passed legislation, California will boost its recycling efforts as well as […]
5 Mins Read An inaugural partnership between Hong Kong real estate developer Sino Group and local sustainability-focused startup EcoBricks upcycled over 5,400 kg of plastic waste into construction bricks at the city’s Gold Coast in the Tuen Mun district. Across Asia, our plastic addiction is clogging up landfills, rivers and oceans. Latest available data shows the region is […]
3 Mins Read A new report finds global plastic waste is set to triple, and exceed one billion tons by 2060. Despite the growing efforts to reduce virgin plastic production and reduce waste, the new data released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), shows a plastic-covered planet, even with best efforts in place to reduce […]
5 Mins Read Our planet is suffering from the deluge of plastics polluting our ocean and environment, harming biodiversity, animals and fuelling climate change. Even if we slashed plastic consumption by 80%, we’re still looking at dealing with an astonishing 710 million tonnes of waste littered across the Earth. Simply put, the planet is running out of time […]
3 Mins Read Plastic pollution has been found in the Arctic for the first time, and scientists warn it will have devastating impacts on the already fragile polar north. One of the regions of the world most impacted by human-caused climate change, the Arctic is now awash in microplastic, according to research published last week in the journal […]
3 Mins Read Recycled plastic bottles are likely to contain chemicals more harmful than those made from virgin plastic, new research finds. A study conducted by Brunel University London identified 150 chemicals in plastic bottles that leached into the bottles’ content. Eighteen of those chemicals exceeded safety regulations, the researchers say. Specifically, bottles made using recycled PET plastic […]
4 Mins Read Following commitments from world leaders to agree to a legally binding treaty on plastic disposal, a string of lawsuits against the world’s largest plastic producers are expected in the coming weeks and months. Last week, during the biennial U.N. Environment Assembly taking place in Nairobi, world leaders agreed to a resolution that would create a […]
4 Mins Read In what’s being hailed as an historic moment in the fight against plastic waste, the United Nations has adopted a resolution that will hold member nations legally accountable for their contributions to the global plastic pollution crisis. “Plastic pollution has grown into an epidemic. With today’s resolution we are officially on track for a cure,” […]
4 Mins Read Coca-Cola, the world’s leading soft drink manufacturer, has been trying out sustainable bottles for years. Now it says that by 2025, 100 percent of its packaging will be recyclable, and at least 50 percent of the packaging will be made with recycled materials by 2030. But can it really do it? Pressure is mounting on […]
4 Mins Read There’s too much plastic on the planet, says a new study released by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, and urgent action is needed to prevent an ecological disaster, the researchers warn. In the first study of its kind, researchers with the Stockholm Resilience Centre say the amount of plastic and man-made chemicals on the planet now […]
4 Mins Read Now in effect across Chile, a single-use plastic ban on cutlery and straws is the beginning of the country’s shift to a full environmental mandate aimed at removing plastic from its waste stream. The sixth most populous country in South America, Chile is taking its environmental responsibility seriously. Now in effect, the country is rolling […]
4 Mins Read In the effort to curb plastic waste, scientists from the U.K.’s University of Birmingham and Duke University say they’ve succeeded in turning elements found in sugar alcohols into what they claim is degradable and recyclable bioplastic. The researchers created two new types of polymers from the sugar bases, iodide and isomannide. Isomannide can be developed […]
5 Mins Read Behind promises of net-zero emissions by 2050, the U.K. and some of its European brethren are working tirelessly. Not to reach targets more quickly, but to slippery shoulder the responsibility of proper waste management. Poorer, less regulated countries are being targeted in mass export drives in what is being referred to as ‘waste colonialism’. The […]
3 Mins Read Microbes found in oceans and soil are showing evolutionary adaptations that allow them to digest microplastic—and this could help fight plastic pollution. Microbes have long been early adopters of evolution—credit their short life spans, and significant generational changes can take place inside of a single day. Now, it seems, they’re evolving to tackle one of […]
4 Mins Read A new report has revealed the U.S. is the biggest contributor to plastic waste globally. It is producing more than all European Union countries combined. Ineffective recycling infrastructure and increased plastic manufacturing are considered the root causes. Figures have led to declarations of environmental and social crises within the U.S. The congressionally mandated report has […]
14 Mins Read By Fredric Bauer and Tobias Dan Nielsen Visiting a modern petrochemical plant makes you feel incredibly small. Enormous compressors roar incessantly, distillation columns tower high above your head, large pipelines full of oil and gas criss-cross the site. Heat radiates from inspection hatches in the furnaces in which the hydrocarbons are heated to 850°C to […]
3 Mins Read Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been named yet again as the world’s biggest plastic polluters, according to the latest global brand audit report.
4 Mins Read The new UN photography exhibit and Ocean Conservancy report puts the forever nature of the world’s plastic waste into the spotlight.