Browsing Category
Plastic Pollution
Singapore Adds More Reverse Vending Machines To Encourage Recycling
Singapore has just added 34 new reverse vending machines to its existing network of just 16. The machines accept plastic and aluminium waste, and users receive discount vouchers as a reward for recycling them. As the city-state’s Semakau!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Germany Bans Single-Use Plastic, Japan Begins Plastic Bag Charging Scheme
Governments are beginning to take concrete action against plastic pollution. From Germany to Japan, new legislation is clamping down on single-use plastics as economies begin to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, which has shifted!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Alt Seafood: Bumble Bee Tuna Maker Commits US$40M To Sustainability & Plant-Based Alternatives
California-based seafood producer Bumble Bee Foods has announced a US$40 million commitment over the next five years to promote sustainability and plant-based seafood alternatives. Through a dedicated Accelerator Fund, the company will!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Hong Kong Students Win Sustainability Entrepreneurship Prize For Vegan Edible Cutlery
Two students from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have just won a sustainability prize in an entrepreneurship competition. Swapnil Mishra and Aditi Deodhar, who founded Planeteers, have created a vegan and!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Experts: Reusables Do Not Increase Risk Of Covid-19 Transmission, Safe To Use
Whilst some food establishments have chosen to stop accepting reusable containers and cups during the coronavirus pandemic, experts say that these fears are unfounded. In a new statement, scientists say that reusable containers do not!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Hong Kong LegCo Bills Committee Drops Waste Disposal Levy
A Legislative Council bills committee vetting the Hong Kong government’s proposed waste disposal levy has decided to discontinue scrutiny over the bill. The move effectively puts an end to years of work that would have introduced!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Plastic In Hong Kong Recycling Bins Sent To Landfills, Investigation Finds
A recent investigation by Hong Kong local news media HK01 has revealed that plastic bottles collected in recycling bins at residential housing estates have been sent to landfills. Using plastic bottles wired with GPS trackers, the!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Asian Development Bank Calls For Sustainable “Blue Economy” To Save Our Oceans
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has called on Asia to begin focusing on building a new sustainable “blue economy”. The region’s development bank says that in order to preserve livelihoods and the planet, the continent must begin!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Vietnamese Company Creates World’s First Biodegradable Coffee Face Mask
ShoeX, a Vietnam-based footwear company that has created coffee shoes, has just launched its new product line of coffee face masks. Called AirX, the face mask is made from Vietnamese coffee beans and is reusable, biodegradable and!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Scientists Urge More Research On Plastics To Bring About Sustainable Economy
A new report by an international union of chemical scientists, business leaders and government figures calls for more global research on plastics and its impacts. Without fully understanding plastics, the experts say, we will be unable to!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Ocean Microplastic Pollution May Outnumber Zooplankton Says New Study
A new study finds that the amount of plastic pollution in our seas is likely to have been severely undercounted. The true number may be higher than the amount of zooplankton, which underpins our marine ecosystem and helps to regulate the!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Plastic Pollution: OceansAsia Founder Says Public Should Phase-Out Single-Use Masks Where Possible
In late February, Hong Kong-based environmental NGO OceansAsia revealed the devastation left behind by littered disposable face masks. A few months on, we catch up with Gary Stokes, the founder and director of the organisation, about the!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Comprehensive Plastic Packaging Tax Proposed For UK, A Blueprint For Other Countries?
The British government is proposing to introduce a new tax on plastic packaging that contains less than 30% recycled plastic. If the planned bill is passed, any plastic used for packaging across all sectors that is manufactured in or!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Plastic-Free & Water-Soluble Shampoo Startup Secures US$3M Seed Funding
Sustainable personal care startup Nohbo has recently announced that it has raised US$3 million in a seed funding round. With the new capital, the company, which makes water-soluble vegan soap pods, hopes to scale up their manufacturing!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Carlsberg & Coca-Cola Drinks May Soon Use “All-Plant” Compostable Plastic Bottles
A biochemicals company based in the Netherlands is now developing “all-plant” bottles, which may soon land on supermarket shelves. The company, Avantium, uses plant sugars instead of fossil fuels to manufacture its degradable and!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Plant-Based, Plastic-Free, Low Sodium Salt? World First By South Korean Startup
Seoul-based food tech startup PhytoCo has officially launched PhytoSalt, a salt that is 20% lower in sodium and is free of microplastics. Derived from the salt-accumulating plant Salicornia, the new product is the world’s first plant-based!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Ocean Breezes Can Blow Microplastic Ashore, Study Finds
A new study by researchers at the University of Strathclyde and the Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées at the University of Toulouse reveals that sea spray contains tiny plastic particles. The scientists say that once broken down in the ocean into!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Alibaba Invests US$6M In Hong Kong Plant Fibre Packaging Startup Ecoinno
Ecoinno, a Hong Kong-based company producing sustainable packaging made from plant fibres, has attracted US$6 million in a series A1 funding round led by two Alibaba funds. The startup says it will use the new capital to scale up!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Want To Slow The Climate Crisis? Don’t Use Single-Use Plastics.
By: Annie Leonard
The fossil fuel industry is dependent on our plastic dependency. We can starve it.
The fossil fuel industry is in trouble and has a sneaky idea for saving itself: It wants to produce lots more plastic. Many!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Ocean Plastic Was Choking Chile’s Shores. Now It’s In Patagonia’s Hats
By: Charis McGowan
A startup is recycling tonnes of discarded fishing nets throughout Chile. Is this a template for tackling the global plastic waste problem?
In Tumbes, a village in southern Chile, discarded plastic!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
“Horrible Hybrids:” The Plastic Products That Give Recyclers Nightmares From Food Pouches To Musical Cards
By: Erin McCormick
From singing birthday cards to baby food pouches, a growing trend of mixing materials is making recycling even harder.
The cheerful, singing voice inside your musical “Happy Birthday” card is enough to strike!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
Read More...
Read More...