Plastic Pollution

New research points to the benefits of upcycling plastic instead of recycling in order to keep it out of waterways. Findings published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggest a major shift in how we look…
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A recent study finds microplastics in human blood for the first time. The findings underscore a growing body of research that points to the detriments of plastic as well as a host of other chemicals. New research published in the…
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Berlin-based Vyld, which makes seaweed-based menstruation products, has closed a seed round to take the startup’s stigma-busting seaweed-based tampons from small scale to mass production. Participants in the round included The Case for…
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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…
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More than 30 percent of consumers think recycling doesn't make a difference in improving the environment, according to a new survey. A new survey, published by YouGov and UK-based sustainable packaging company DS Smith, finds a growing…
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Two of the world's leading plastics organizations have partnered to end plastic pollution across Ghana, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The World Economic Forum's Global Plastic Action Partnership…
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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…
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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.…
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Purchasing fruits and vegetables packaged in plastic wrap creates two problems for the environment: more plastic and more food waste, according to new research. The U.K.-based sustainability nonprofit Wrap, looked at the sales of five…
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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…
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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…
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In an effort to improve recycling efforts, the world’s third-largest ocean shipping company says it will no longer transport plastic waste beginning June 1st. France-based CMA CGM Group says it’s made the “landmark decision” to cease…
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Sheila Morovati, founder and president of non-profit Habits of Waste is on a mission. She wants to prevent the continued use of single-use plastic in the media and take representation of the material out of the limelight. By denormalising…
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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…
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Californian sustainable packaging grocery startup Zero has scooped $11.8 million in seed funding led by Sway Ventures to continue its recent 'two hour eco delivery' expansion across the United States. The company, which delivers a wide…
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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. …
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A milestone number of plastic bottles have been kept out of oceans, according to the social enterprise Plastic Bank. It says it's kept the equivalent of two billion plastic bottles from entering the world's oceans since launching in 2013. …
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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…
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Plastic packaging use increased for Amazon by nearly 33 percent during the last year of the pandemic, according to new findings.  Online orders from the largest e-tailer in the Western world increased 38 percent in 2020 due to the…
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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…
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As consumer dissatisfaction with traditional plastic packaging grows stronger and as the global plastic waste crisis continues to worsen daily, a slew of new material science startups are looking to algae for solutions, and investors are…
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