The Cure for Disposable Plastic Crap Is Here—and It’s Loony
Stretchy seaweed, reverse vending machines, QR-coded take-out boxes: They’re how we can break society’s absurd addiction to single-use plastics......»»
Harmful substances in soft plastic lures: Risks for anglers and the environment
An interdisciplinary research team has demonstrated in their new study that harmful phthalates and endocrine disruptors are released from common soft plastic baits......»»
Biologists find nanoplastics in developing chicken heart
Nanoplastics can accumulate in developing hearts, according to a study published in Environment International by biologist Meiru Wang from Leiden University. Her research on chicken embryos sheds new light on how these tiny plastic particles pose a t.....»»
Q&A: Plastic waste is a global problem, but carbon recycling can help
Heavy industries such as aviation and chemical manufacturing contribute to about 20% of overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and will continue to depend on fossil fuels......»»
Philippines deploys river rangers in battle against plastic
Using a long-handled net, Ronnel Narvas scoops up discarded plastic soft drink bottles, shopping bags and palm-sized sachets as he wades through a foul-smelling tributary in the Philippine capital Manila......»»
Proposed Plastics Law Could Slash Wasteful Packaging
A law proposed in New York State seeks to reduce plastic packaging, ban certain plastic chemicals and mandate that producers of packaged consumer goods fund the recycling or disposal of what they sell.....»»
Big brands are "failing to curb plastic sachet use"
Small plastic sachets commonly used in low- and middle-income countries must be phased out and packaging reuse systems promoted, urge campaigners and waste pickers, as new analysis reveals major corporations have failed to curb their use......»»
Ambitious targets are needed to end ocean plastic pollution by 2100, analysis finds
A collaboration between researchers at Imperial College London and GNS Science, suggests that reducing plastic pollution by 5% per year would stabilize the level of microplastics—plastics less than 5 mm in length—in the surface oceans......»»
A research team is developing a method to recycle more plastics
Despite consumer efforts to sort and separate recyclables, most plastic bottles still end up in the landfill. Standard recycling methods to sort, shred and remake plastics are limited to just type-1 and type-2 plastics—basically only soda bottles,.....»»
Sustainable, high-performance paper coating material could reduce microplastic pollution
Plastic pollution presents a global challenge that must be solved. In particular, packaging accounts for 30–50% of the total plastic consumption. While paper packaging is eco-friendly, it lacks crucial functionalities like moisture resistance and s.....»»
Researchers analyze how a chemical process could help recycle a common plastic waste
Researchers at Virginia Tech are exploring processes that might greatly increase the recycling of one of the world's most-produced plastics......»»
Plastic-greenhouse agriculture: A novel soil profile design for global sustainability and enhanced crop production
A research team has developed a novel conceptual framework for designing plastic-greenhouse soil profiles that cater to the needs of smallholder farmers. The soil profile includes four functional layers: a soil mulch layer for preventing evaporation,.....»»
Study shows how avocado pruning residues can be used produce more sustainable food packaging
Although plastic allows food to be packaged safely and hygienically, its extensive use constitutes a significant environmental challenge due to its limited recyclability and short shelf life. Thus, industry and the scientific community have been look.....»»
Tiny pieces of plastic pose one of the biggest threats to Chicago River wildlife and water quality
Wendella engineer Miguel Chavez climbed down a ladder and over a small dock to pull up a trap floating in the Chicago River near the Michigan Avenue Bridge. The size of a standard garbage can, the trap is designed to collect trash and can hold up to.....»»
Turning trash into treasure: Exploring biotic and abiotic methods for PET plastic upcycling
A paper published in Eco-Environment & Health introduces innovative biotic and abiotic methods for recycling and upcycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The review delves into sustainable strategies that improve the processing and utility of PET.....»»
Apple’s plastic-free packaging means pack-in logo stickers are going away
Pack-in Apple stickers go back at least as far as 1977’s Apple II. Enlarge / Many different Apple stickers from many different products and eras. (credit: Andrew Cunningham) As a noted sticker enthusiast, I’m alway.....»»
What are nanoplastics? An engineer explains concerns about particles too small to see
It's become common to read that microplastics—little bits of plastic, smaller than a pencil eraser—are turning up everywhere and in everything, including the ocean, farmland, food and human bodies. Now a new term is gaining attention: nanoplastic.....»»
A global plastic treaty will only work if it caps production, modeling shows
An international agreement to end plastic pollution is due to be sealed this year in Busan, South Korea. At the penultimate round of negotiations, held in Ottawa, Canada, Rwanda and Peru proposed a target to cut the weight of primary plastics produce.....»»
"Everywhere we looked, we found evidence": Microplastics expert on 20 years of pollution research
Thirty years ago, while counting barnacles, limpets and seaweeds along rocky shores, I started noticing a daily tide of litter, mostly plastic. As a marine biology Ph.D. student at Liverpool University, I kept removing it, but the next day, there'd b.....»»
Cold sintering may rescue plastic, ceramics, battery components from landfills
Recycling does not necessarily prevent an item from eventually ending up in a landfill, according to Enrique Gomez, interim associate dean for equity and inclusion and professor of chemical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering. Instea.....»»
New process tackles pollution on dual fronts of plastic waste and fuel emissions
What if we could help the global plastic waste problem and the transportation industry with the same technology?.....»»