A 2019 Basel Convention amendment targeting plastic waste exports went into effect on Jan. 1. Boris Horvat / AFP / Getty Images
This month, a new era began in the fight against plastic pollution.
<p>In 2019, 187 nations within the United Nations amended the 1989 <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/basel-convention" target="_self">Basel Convention</a>, which governs trade in hazardous materials, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-pollution-agreement-2636986814.html" target="_self">to include plastic waste</a>. The historic treaty created a legally binding framework to make global trade in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastic</a> waste more transparent and better regulated, the UN Environment Program (UNEP) said in a <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/governments-agree-landmark-decisions-protect-people-and-planet" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p><p>The amendment to the Basel Convention, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2021, will result in a cleaner ocean within five years and allow developing nations like Vietnam and Malaysia to refuse low-quality and difficult-to-recycle waste before it ever gets shipped, a UN transboundary waste chief told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/29/new-rules-to-tackle-wild-west-of-plastic-waste-dumped-on-poorer-countries" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p><p>"It is my optimistic view that, in five years, we will see results," Rolph Payet, the executive director of the Basel Convention, told The Guardian. "People on the frontline are going to be telling us whether there is a decrease of plastic in the ocean. I don't see that happening in the next two to three years, but on the horizon of five years. This amendment is just the beginning."</p><p>"Pollution from <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic-waste" target="_self">plastic waste</a>, acknowledged as a major environmental problem of global concern, has reached epidemic proportions with an estimated 100 million tons of plastic now found in the oceans, 80-90 percent of which comes from land-based sources," the UNEP release noted, explaining a primary rationale behind the amendment's passage.</p><p>Once in the oceans, plastic continues to cause harm. It degrades into <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/microplastics" target="_self">microplastics</a>, which <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/seafood-study-plastic-contamination-2646982206.html" target="_self">end up in our seafood</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/microplastics-found-human-organs-2647014349.html#:~:text=According%20to%20PlasticsEurope.org%2C%20359,74%2C000%20microplastic%20particles%20a%20year." target="_self">ultimately us</a>. A recent study also found that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/ocean-acidification-plastic-polllution-2648847023.html" target="_self">plastic pollution increases ocean acidification</a>.</p>
<p>The amendment now requires "prior notice and consent" in writing from importing and transit countries before shipping plastic waste for recycling, the <a href="http://requirements/" target="_blank">Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)</a> explained. Exporting countries must detail whether a shipment is mixed or contaminated. If permission isn't granted to receive the goods, they must remain in their country of origin.</p><p>The new international rule aims to level the playing field between wealthy nations that dump contaminated plastic waste and poorer ones that have traditionally received it. According to The Guardian, before the new rule, shipments containing contaminated, non-recyclable and low-quality plastics were often sold to developing nations for recycling. After China refused to continue accepting contaminated waste in 2018, the onus fell on other developing nations to accept it, a 2020 <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/43469/waste-trade-woes-plastic-waste-from-developed-countries-add-to-malaysias-environmental-crisis/" target="_blank">Greenpeace report </a>found. Once received, the waste was often illegally burned or dumped in landfills and waterways because it was unusable and unrecyclable.</p><p>Heng Kiah Chun, a Greenpeace Malaysia campaigner, called the impact from illegally dumping plastic waste from more than 19 countries worldwide "an indelible mark" left throughout Southeast Asia, the report added.</p><p>According to the EPA, the Basel Convention made an exception for pre-sorted, clean, uncontaminated and recycling-bound plastic scrap: it will not be subject to informed consent requirements. The idea is to encourage exports of commercially viable plastics for recycling rather than the unrestricted dumping of plastic trash that previously occurred.</p><p>In Dec. 2020, the European Union passed <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/eu-bans-plastic-waste-exports-2649639389.html" target="_self">additional regulations</a> that are even stricter than the Basel Convention amendment, including a ban on sending unsorted plastic waste, which is harder to recycle, to poorer countries. </p>
<p>Despite <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/world-plastic-waste-leader-us-2648607158.html" target="_self">leading the world in plastic waste</a>, the U.S. did not agree to the amendment in 2019. However, the amendment still applies to the U.S. anytime it tries to trade plastic waste with another of the 187 participating countries, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/11/world/basel-convention-plastic-waste-trade-intl/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported.</p><p>Rather than framing the plastic problem as an issue between developed and developing nations, some critics would rather see <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-pollution-producer-responsibility-2649792843.html" target="_self">commercial producers take responsibility</a>. Others, noting that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-recycling-myth-2647706452.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_self">recycling</a> models, especially in the U.S., aren't working, are encouraging a cultural shift away from using plastics, stemming the problem of plastic pollution at the source.</p><p>Nevertheless, the convention is a "crucial first step towards stopping the use of developing countries as a dumping ground for the world's plastic waste, especially those coming from rich nations," Von Hernandez, Break Free From Plastic global coordinator, told CNN.</p><p>"Countries at the receiving end of mixed and unsorted plastic waste from foreign sources now have the right to refuse these problematic shipments, in turn compelling source countries to ensure exports of clean, recyclable plastics only," Hernandez added. "Recycling will not be enough, however. Ultimately, production of plastics has to be significantly curtailed to effectively resolve the plastic pollution crisis."</p>
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By Alex Truelove
We're all culprits in the plastic pollution crisis — and that's by design.
I was reminded of this recently when I ordered a set of carbon filters for my countertop compost bin. (Like most people, I don't care for smelly kitchens.) The package arrived in a layered-plastic bubble envelope. Inside I found another clear plastic bag encasing the filters. Finally, adding insult to injury, each filter was wrapped individually in plastic. That made at least three layers of plastic for each filter.
<p>Frustratingly, in an effort to reduce waste, I had created more. And I'm not alone. A recent <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/44/eabd0288" target="_blank">landmark study</a> confirmed that the United States is the most plastic-polluting country in the world. Every 16 hours Americans throw away enough plastic to fill a football stadium.</p>
<p>Adding to my frustration was a sense of helplessness. There was no way I could have known or changed the fact that these products were shrouded in layer upon layer of disposable plastic packaging.</p><p>I know millions of Americans feel the same way. We want to reduce our waste, particularly our use of disposable plastic, but we're rarely given the opportunity. Even when sustainable products are minimally packaged or designed for reuse, they often must be purchased online (delivered in more packaging, often disposable) or at specialty stores (rarities). Countless times I've wished that I could have avoided buying things that created so much trash.</p><p>But what if, in demanding better of ourselves, we're missing the point? The companies that design our products and packaging to be disposable not only created this system but are rewarded by it. Waste equals profit through cost avoidance.</p><p>Disposable products are cheap for industry, but costly to the rest of us. As taxpayers we have to pay for trash collection and recycling. As citizens we're exposed to pollutants from excessive manufacturing and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/humans-consume-equivalent-credit-card-worth-plastic-week/story?id=63687144" target="_blank">microplastics</a> shed from disposable products into our drinking water and food.</p><p>Meanwhile our oceans and waterways are being bombarded with millions of tons of plastic every year, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/18/world/asia/whale-plastics-philippines.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">killing wildlife</a> and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/01/plastic-junk-coral-disease/551495/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spreading disease</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2OTIwNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNzc3MzYxNH0.kQGHaYiDU54NGFkKJbaUkkXzq5HxSm05sAx7Iib1cDQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="11268" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f81e20a7aa3d681e37cb4ce5eb0860d0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="800" data-height="538" />
Marine litter on a remote stretch of Norway coastline. Bo Eide / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
<p>The cost to the companies making these wasteful products? Zero. In a shareholder profit-maximizing world, making disposable junk wins every time.</p><p>But what if these companies were held responsible for their products? Would it prevent the onslaught of plastic junk filling up our landfills and too often ending up in the ocean? History suggests manufacturers would design products to be more reusable, repairable and resilient, because they'd want to limit the waste they would have to manage.</p><p>Which brings us to an idea known as producer responsibility.</p><p>Producer responsibility programs have existed around the world for decades and have successfully increased collection, recycling and reuse for the products they cover. For the most part these programs regulate hazardous, hard-to-dispose-of products such as batteries, paint, mercury thermostats, carpet, pesticides, tires and pharmaceuticals. Dozens of states already have programs in place for these items.</p><p>For example, thermostat makers are required to finance and sometimes run convenient recycling programs to keep mercury, a potent neurotoxin, from escaping and causing damage. Not all programs require producers to collect their own trash, but they all require adequate financing for safe collection. Producers that redesign their products to be less dangerous or more reusable can often avoid higher fees.</p><p>Unfortunately we don't have programs in place for single-use packaging and foodware, despite the fact that those products are <em>also </em>hazardous and hard to dispose of. That's why <a href="https://uspirg.org/reports/usp/break-waste-cycle" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">we need to create them</a>. British Columbia has already implemented producer responsibility legislation, and a handful of U.S. states — from Washington to Maine — are <a href="https://www.wastedive.com/news/epr-extended-producer-responsibility-maine-new-york-trends-plastic/587623/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">considering similar programs</a>. If implemented, these programs would create jobs, generate revenue streams for local municipalities to further reduce waste and, in the long run, improve human health and help fight climate change.</p><p>With support and pressure from residents, we could see laws pass as early as 2021, forcing our product-makers to either be better or pay out.</p><p>The idea is even gaining support <a href="https://www.tomudall.senate.gov/news/press-releases/udall-lowenthal-merkley-clark-unveil-landmark-legislation-to-break-free-from-plastic-pollution" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">at the federal level</a>, as members of Congress respond to growing calls from constituents to address the plastic pollution crisis. Even the remote possibility of a federal program may push states to establish their own programs first.</p><p>Perhaps unsurprisingly, industry groups that represent manufacturers of these products have <a href="https://time.com/5790656/fixing-recycling-in-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">already opposed</a> efforts to hold their clients responsible, which is why we must continue to push our legislators to support these programs now and into the future. In other words, the jig is up — but only if we say so.</p><p><em>The opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of</em> The Revelator<em>, the Center for Biological Diversity or their employees.</em></p><p><em><a href="https://therevelator.org/author/alextruelove/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alex Truelove</a> is United States Public Interest Research Group's director of zero waste campaigns.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-producer-responsibility/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>. </em></p>
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Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
<p>Here you can learn about the importance of organic hemp oil, why it's better for the environment, and which CBD companies actually make trustworthy products with sustainable farming processes. origins which weigh heavily on many consumers who want to buy a product that's produced in the best way possible for not only themselves to ingest, but for the environment as well through sustainable farming methods. </p><h2>What Is CBD Oil?</h2><p>First things first, CBD stands for cannabidiol, and it's a cannabinoid found within cannabis sativa plants. This plant compound is believed to have many potential benefits, and it is primarily derived from hemp plants via a CO2 extraction process. </p><p>Since CBD is extracted from industrial hemp, which contains only trace amounts of THC (the psychoactive component in cannabis plants), this means that CBD won't make you feel high like marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC that causes psychoactive effects. Instead, the effects of CBD are much more subtle and promote a general sense of calm and relaxation in most users.</p><h2>What Makes a CBD Oil Organic?</h2><p>In terms of organic labels, perhaps the most important (and prominent) certification comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government organization has been labeling foods as "organic" for many years, but what exactly does this certification entail? Essentially, a label indicating that a product is "USDA Organic" or "Certified Organic" means that at least 95% of the ingredients are obtained from organic sources.</p><p>For a crop to be considered organic by the USDA, it must be grown without the use of industrial solvents, irradiation, genetic engineering (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, or chemical fertilizer. Instead, farmers rely on natural substances and <a href="https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2012/03/22/organic-101-what-usda-organic-label-means" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mechanical, physical, or biologically based farming</a> techniques to cultivate healthy and organic crops.</p><p>Before the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, no hemp-derived products could be dubbed as "certified organic" since the hemp plant and its extracts were still categorized as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. However, it's still difficult for CBD companies to obtain a USDA certified organic label for their products due to the legal grey area that still surrounds CBD extracts. </p><p>Because of these challenges, and due to the fact that industrial hemp has only recently become an agricultural crop, very few CBD oils are USDA certified organic. Rather, many CBD products contain hemp extracts from plants that were grown in organic conditions but may not be federally certified.</p><h2>What are the Best Organic CBD Oil Brands?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><em><br></em>
<h2>Why Organic Hemp Oil Matters</h2><p>Hemp is a unique plant, not only for its rich cannabinoid content, but also for its ability to absorb a wide variety of components in soil. But this trait poses great risks when it comes to the creation of CBD products derived from hemp.</p><p>Because hemp has a high capacity for compound uptake, this means that the plants can retain <a href="https://www.remedyreview.com/industry/lab-test-results/" target="_blank">harmful chemicals like pesticides</a>, heavy metals, and other residual solvents. This is especially true when it comes to synthetic chemicals that are more toxic to humans, and difficult to remove once they have been absorbed by the hemp plant.</p><p>Organic farming practices help reduce the risk of hemp crops absorbing harsh chemicals that may later end up in CBD oil after extraction. When you're taking CBD as a wellness supplement to help alleviate your symptoms or improve your overall well-being, the last thing you want is to ingest compounds that might negatively outweigh the benefits of CBD. This is an important reason to look for third party lab test results when shopping for CBD products since these certificates of analysis can show the full cannabinoid and terpene profile of a hemp extract, as well as test results that search for the presence of any residual solvents.</p><p>In addition to creating a better end product, organic farming practices are also better for the environment. Sustainable and organic farming methods may <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility, and use less energy</a>. The use of natural pest deterrents as opposed to chemical pesticides is also better for nearby animal populations and ecosystems.</p><h3>Organic vs. Natural</h3><p>While there are only a select few companies offering certified organic ingredients in their products, almost every brand in the CBD market creates "natural" products. The term "all-natural" or "plant-based" does not mean that a product is organic, and since hemp oil is a natural derivative of hemp plants, these products are often referred to as all-natural. However, there are some synthetic CBD oils that should be avoided because they are chemically constructed and may produce unwanted side effects that are not caused by naturally derived CBD extracts.</p><h2>What are the Benefits of Organic CBD Oil?</h2><p>There's a long list of potential CBD oil health benefits, and some of the most common wellness advantages include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/" target="_blank">Chronic pain relief</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/" target="_blank">Anti-anxiety effects</a></li><li>Better sleep</li><li><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inner-source/201901/cbd-oil-mental-health-should-you-take-it-too" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvements in mood</a></li><li>Internal balance and regulation</li></ul><p>When dealing with pain, inflammation, sleep issues, and mental health struggles, it can be hard to find sufficient treatment options. The use of certain prescriptions can cause unwanted side effects, yet they are often the only solution for patients with these medical conditions. In search of other therapies, people have started to flock towards CBD oil as an alternative remedy for a variety of conditions. However, it should be noted that CBD products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and you should seek your doctor's advice before using CBD if you have a serious medical condition.</p><h2>Look at the Labels Before You Buy CBD Oil</h2><p>When you go online to buy CBD oil, you'll quickly realize there is an overwhelming number of brands that are saturating the market. It can be difficult to determine which products are truly as good as they make themselves out to be. Always look for up-to-date third-party lab tests so you know you are getting a great product, and don't hesitate to contact the brand if you have any additional questions. And if you're intent on purchasing 100% organic CBD oil, it's best to look for certified products or brands that are held to strict regulatory standards.</p><p><strong>Melena Gurganus </strong>is the Reviews Editor at EcoWatch. She is passionate health and wellness and her writing aims to help others find products they can trust. Her work has been featured in publications such as Health, Shape, Huffington Post, Cannabis Business Times, and Bustle.<br></p>
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>
$89
CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>
$35
FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>
$39
NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>
$38.50
Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>
$60
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EU will no longer allow exports of hazardous plastics to countries like Malaysia, pictured, as of Jan. 1, 2021. Mohd Rasfan / AFP / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
The European Union's executive branch on Tuesday announced new rules for plastic waste shipments—including a ban on some exports to poorer countries—that will take effect on January 1 as part of the bloc's Circular Economy Action Plan and European Green Deal.
<p>The changes to the bloc's 2006 Waste Shipment Regulation will apply to exports, imports, and intra-E.U. shipments of plastic waste, <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/environment/news/plastic-waste-shipments-new-eu-rules-importing-and-exporting-plastic-waste-2020-12-22_en" target="_blank">according to</a> a statement from the European Commission. Various shipments to and from the E.U.'s 27 member states will be subjected to a "prior notification and consent procedure."</p><p>Starting next year, bloc members may no longer export plastic waste that is hazardous or hard to recycle to nations that are not a part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the export of clean, non-hazardous waste to non-OECD countries will only be allowed under certain conditions laid out by the importer.</p>
<div id="f1a80" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="57b9f26a98e967fc856d98690e7880b9"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1341355128943742976" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">🆕 Milestone in the fight against #PlasticPollution
NEW 🇪🇺 rules on importing & exporting plastic waste, to
boost… https://t.co/uAabNZXTVM</div> — EU Environment (@EU Environment)<a href="https://twitter.com/EU_ENV/statuses/1341355128943742976">1608638958.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The rules come in response to a 2019 conference at which 187 countries <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/05/10/187-countries-just-took-crucial-step-stop-rich-nations-treating-global-south-dumping" target="_blank">agreed</a> to add restrictions on plastics to a 1989 United Nations treaty—a deal that was praised by public health and environmental advocates. According to the commission, "By banning the export outside the OECD of plastic waste that is difficult to recycle, the E.U. is actually going further than the requirements of the Basel Convention."</p><p>As Virginijus Sinkevičius, commissioner for environment, oceans, and fisheries, put it: "These new rules send a clear message that in the E.U. we are taking responsibility for the waste we generate."</p><p>"This is an important milestone in fighting plastic pollution, transitioning shifting to a circular economy, and achieving the aims of the European Green Deal," he said.</p><p>The German broadcaster <em>Deutsche Welle </em><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/eu-bans-plastic-waste-exports-to-poor-nations/a-56033900" target="_blank">noted</a> that "the moves follow China's 2018 ban on plastic imports and statements from environmentalists that waste was ending up in other Asian nations, such as Malaysia, and then being dumped into ocean waters."</p><p>Citing Sinkevičius, <em>DW</em> added that last year, "the E.U. exported 1.5 million tons of plastic waste, mostly to Turkey and Asian countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia."</p>
<div id="a8875" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bd8ae72b8f552f4b8f7148d2ac8bfb28"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1341816020575641601" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">This is huge. New rules will require trash importers and exporters to *agree* on how to handle hazardous shipments. https://t.co/BNZGIgb92O</div> — Rachel Cernansky (@Rachel Cernansky)<a href="https://twitter.com/rachelcernansky/statuses/1341816020575641601">1608748843.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Greenpeace Malaysia <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/43469/waste-trade-woes-plastic-waste-from-developed-countries-add-to-malaysias-environmental-crisis/" target="_blank">detailed</a> in a May report how plastic waste from developed nations is adding to the country's environmental crisis.</p><p>"When plastics are exported from one country to another they can bring with them a wide range of hazardous chemicals," explained Kevin Brigden, senior scientist of Greenpeace Research Laboratories. "Improper storage and treatment can later release these chemicals into the local environment, and burning can even generate new hazardous chemicals."</p><p>Heng Kiah Chun, a Greenpeace Malaysia campaigner, said at the time that "the illegal dumping of plastic waste from over 19 countries worldwide has left an indelible mark on Malaysia and other countries in Southeast Asia."</p><p>"Aside from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, communities in Selangor and Kedah have another invisible enemy to face—chemical contaminants that remain in our environment with the possibility of entering our food chain," the campaigner added.</p>
<div id="a5f12" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e278de1d1b8eb654dde4a24795b71fcb"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1339641918779617281" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We must beware of false solutions and work to change the single-use culture of modern society. It's time for the… https://t.co/ULtXld98gI</div> — Greenpeace NZ (@Greenpeace NZ)<a href="https://twitter.com/GreenpeaceNZ/statuses/1339641918779617281">1608230497.0</a></blockquote></div>
<div id="b6045" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9491474b61d6b8a286b66dd964f9eae8"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1341821315930533889" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">In order to STOP polluting our earth with single-use plastic, we need robust reuse systems to be put in place.
Sig… https://t.co/H3RA23QlqS</div> — breakfreefromplastic (@breakfreefromplastic)<a href="https://twitter.com/brkfreeplastic/statuses/1341821315930533889">1608750106.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Greenpeace Germany campaigner Manfred Santen emphasized in May that exporting countries like his "must take responsibility for its wastes" and "stronger regulations are needed to drastically reduce the production of unnecessary single-use plastic packaging by multinationals like Nestle, so waste does not need to be exported in the first place."</p><p>While the new E.U. rules are designed to help stop richer countries from exploiting poorer ones, demands are still mounting worldwide for more ambitious efforts to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BreakFreeFromPlastic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">#BreakFreeFromPlastic</a>. Warning against "<a href="https://twitter.com/GreenpeaceNZ/status/1339641918779617281" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">false solutions</a>" like biodegradable plastic production, anti-pollution campaigners continue to push for banning single-use plastic products, creating "robust reuse systems," and pursuing a <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/partner-content-circular-economy-event-recap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">circular economy</a>.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/23/eu-ramps-fight-against-pollution-ban-plastic-waste-exports-poorer-countries?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- We Are Drowning In Plastic, and Fracking Companies Are Profiting ... ›
- Electronic Waste: New EU Rules Target Throwaway Culture ›
- EU Moves to Ban 10 Most Harmful Single-Use Plastics - EcoWatch ›
- U.N. Hopes to Reduce Ocean Plastic Waste Within Five Years ›
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Trending
After the 2018 Camp Fire (pictured), chemicals were found in buried water distribution networks, some at levels comparable to hazardous waste. Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
By Andrew J. Whelton, Amisha Shah and Kristofer P. Isaacson
When wildfires swept through the hills near Santa Cruz, California, in 2020, they released toxic chemicals into the water supplies of at least two communities. One sample found benzene, a carcinogen, at 40 times the state's drinking water standard.
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<p>Our testing has now confirmed a source of these chemicals, and it's clear that wildfires aren't the only blazes that put drinking water systems at risk.</p><p>In a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/D0EW00836B" target="_blank">new study</a>, we heated plastic water pipes commonly used in buildings and water systems to test how they would respond to nearby fires.</p><p>The results, released Dec. 14, show how easily wildfires could trigger widespread drinking water contamination. They also show the risks when only part of a building catches fire and the rest remains in use. In some of our tests, heat exposure caused more than 100 chemicals to leach from the damaged plastics.</p><p>As <a href="https://engineering.purdue.edu/CE/People/ptProfile?resource_id=110359" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">environmental</a> <a href="https://engineering.purdue.edu/EEE/People/ptProfile?resource_id=108577" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">engineers</a>, we advise communities on drinking water safety and disaster recovery. The western U.S.'s <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-year-the-west-was-burning-how-the-2020-wildfire-season-got-so-extreme-148804" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">extreme wildfire seasons</a> are putting more communities at risk in ways they might not realize. Just this year, more than <a href="https://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">52,000 fires</a> destroyed more than <a href="https://headwaterseconomics.org/natural-hazards/structures-destroyed-by-wildfire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">17,000 structures</a> – many of them homes connected to water systems. Heat-damaged plastic pipes can continue to leach chemicals into water over time, and ridding a water system of the contamination can take months and <a href="https://www.circleofblue.org/2020/wef/western-wildfires-damage-contaminate-drinking-water-systems/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">millions of dollars</a>.</p>
<h2>A Baffling Source of Contamination</h2><p>The cause of drinking water contamination after wildfires has baffled authorities since it was discovered in 2017.</p><p>After the 2017 Tubbs Fire and 2018 Camp Fire, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/aws2.1183" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">chemicals were found</a> in buried water distribution networks, some at levels comparable to hazardous waste. Contamination was not in the water treatment plants or drinking water sources. Some homeowners found drinking water contamination in their plumbing.</p><p>Tests revealed volatile <a href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp.asp?id=40&tid=14" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">organic compounds</a> had reached levels that posed immediate health risks in some areas, including benzene levels that exceeded the EPA <a href="https://theconversation.com/wildfires-can-leave-toxic-drinking-water-behind-heres-how-to-protect-the-public-146160" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hazardous</a> waste threshold of <a href="https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-06/documents/tclp.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">500 parts per billion</a>. Benzene was found at a level 8,000 times the federal drinking water limit and 200 times the level that causes immediate health effects. Those effects can include dizziness, headaches, skin and throat irritation and even unconsciousness, among <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/benzene.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">other risks</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk2MTM4Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyODYwMDM1OH0.o3KWGD21O5-opynmG-hp-lESoIDh7SuTAIGYk0-aPCI/img.jpg?width=980" id="71394" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d8b3f598fa33b3f0595d2a869eb3dd92" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="600" data-height="717" />
Plastic water pipes don't have to burn to be a problem. Andrew Whelton / Purdue University, CC BY-ND
<p><br>This year, wildfires triggered <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/benzene.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">drinking water contamination</a> in at least <a href="https://www.kazu.org/post/santa-cruz-county-drinking-water-takes-hit-after-wildfire#stream/0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">two more</a> <a href="https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2020/10/30/its-gone-to-the-ground-big-basin-water-co-struggles-to-recover-from-fire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">California</a> drinking water systems, and testing is still underway in other communities.</p><h2>The Problem With Plastics</h2><p>Plastics are ubiquitous in drinking water systems. They are often less expensive to install than metal alternatives, which hold up against high heat but are <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-coronavirus-pandemic-might-make-buildings-sick-too-136373" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">vulnerable to corrosion</a>.</p><p>Today, water pipes under the street and those that deliver water to customers' water meters are increasingly made of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/10/climate/water-pipes-plastic-lead.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">plastic</a>. Pipes that transport the drinking water from the meter to the building are often plastic. Water meters also sometimes contain plastics. Private wells can have plastic well casings as well as buried plastic pipes that deliver well water to plastic storage tanks and buildings.</p><p>Pipes inside buildings that carry hot and cold water to faucets can also be plastic, as can faucet connectors, water heater dip tubes, refrigerator and ice maker tubing.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk2MTM5Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MzQ1NjA5Mn0.itHByqLykpSkFCi1Y5ImlXx6-0cPCBUSeq-AgoMIR4Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="20de0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="367dae486895f3170f6034583b0a8dfe" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="600" data-height="375" />
Some common types of drinking water pipes: Black plastic is HDPE; white is PVC; yellow is CPVC; red, maroon, orange, and blue are PEX; green is PP; and gray is polybutylene. The metal pipes are lead, iron and copper. Andrew Whelton / Purdue University, CC BY-ND
<p>To determine if plastic pipes could be responsible for drinking water contamination after wildfires, we exposed commonly available plastic pipes to heat. The temperatures were similar to the heat from a wildfire that radiates toward buildings but isn't enough to cause the pipes to catch fire.</p><p>We tested several popular plastic drinking water pipes, including high-density polyethylene (HDPE), crosslinked polyethylene (PEX), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC).</p><p>Benzene and other chemicals were generated inside the plastic pipes just by heating. After the plastics cooled, these chemicals then leached into the water. It happened at temperatures as low as 392 degrees Fahrenheit. Fires can exceed 1,400 degrees.</p><p>While researchers previously discovered that plastics could release benzene and other chemicals into the air during heating, this new study shows heat-damaged plastics can directly leach dozens of toxic chemicals into water.</p><h2>What to Do About Contamination</h2><p>A community can stop water contamination from spreading if damaged pipes can be quickly isolated. Without isolation, the contaminated water may move to other parts of the water system, across town or within a building, causing further contamination. </p><p>During the CZU Lightning Complex Fire near Santa Cruz, <a href="https://www.slvwd.com/" target="_blank">one water utility</a> had water distribution system valves that seemed to have contained the benzene-contaminated water.</p><p>Rinsing heat-damaged pipes won't always remove the contamination. While helping Paradise, California, recover from the 2018 Camp Fire disaster, we and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that some plastic pipes would have required more than <a href="https://engineering.purdue.edu/PlumbingSafety/opinions/Final-HDPE-Service-Line-Decontamination-2019-03-18.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">100 days</a> of nonstop water rinsing to be safe for use. Instead, officials decided to replace the pipes.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk2MTQwMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzA3Njg5MX0.gPt0tingFrBw2U3NrReEsU0nsp1f2wq4bAWFJaNQuLU/img.jpg?width=980" id="b185d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f9941a5b5fe526b045e9fb12e65d517f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="600" data-height="800" />
Different types of pipes respond to heating in different ways. Andrew Whelton / Purdue University, CC BY-ND
<p>Even if a home is undamaged, we recommend testing the water in private wells and service lines if fire was on the property. If contamination is found, we recommend finding and removing the heat-damaged plastic contamination sources. Some plastics can <a href="http://doi.org/10.1061/%28ASCE%29EE.1943-7870.0001542" target="_blank">slowly leach chemicals</a> like benzene over time, and this could go on for months to years, depending on the scale of contamination and water use. <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/HEALTHYENVIRONMENTS/DRINKINGWATER/MONITORING/Documents/health/benzene.pdf" target="_blank">Boiling the water</a> doesn't help and can release benzene into the air.</p><h2>Avoiding Widespread Contamination</h2><p>Communities can take steps to avoid contaminated drinking water in the event of a fire. Water companies can install network isolation valves and backflow prevention devices, to prevent contaminated water moving from a damaged building into the utility pipe network.</p><p>Insurance companies can use pricing to encourage property owners and cities to install fire-resistant metal pipes instead of plastic. Rules for keeping vegetation away from meter boxes and buildings can also lessen the chance heat reaches plastic water system components.</p><p>Homeowners and communities rebuilding after fires now have more information about the risks as they consider whether to use plastic pipes. Some, like the town of Paradise, have chosen to rebuild with plastic and accept the risks. In 2020, the city had another wildfire scare and residents were <a href="https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2020/09/28/paradise-evacuation-warning-north-complex-fire/" target="_blank">forced to evacuate again</a>.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/150923/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation"></p>
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<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-j-whelton-1031851">Andrew J. Whelton</a> is an Associate Professor of Civil, Environmental & Ecological Engineering, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/purdue-university-1827">Purdue University</a>.<span></span>
</em></p><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amisha-shah-1181872" target="_blank"><em>Amisha Shah</em></a><em> is an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering, </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/purdue-university-1827" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Purdue University</em></a><em>.</em><br/></p><p>
<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kristofer-p-isaacson-1184063">Kristofer P. Isaacson</a> is a Ph.D. Student, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/purdue-university-1827">Purdue University</a>.</em><br/>
</p><p><em>Disclosure statement: </em><em>Andrew J. Whelton received funding from the Paradise Irrigation District and Paradise Rotary Foundation. He also participated in the California Governor's Operations of Emergency Services Camp Fire Water Task Force from January, 2019 to May, 2019. </em><em>Amisha Shah received funding from the Paradise Irrigation District. </em><em>Kristofer P. Isaacson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</em></p><p><em><span></span>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/plastic-pipes-are-polluting-drinking-water-systems-after-wildfires-its-a-risk-in-urban-fires-too-150923" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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Microplastics Weathered by Water Are More Likely to Infiltrate an Animal’s Cells
14 December 2020
Animals
A new study finds microplastic particles exposed to freshwater or saltwater environments are more likely to be taken up into an animal's cells. Tunatura / Getty Images
By Kasra Zarei
Microplastic particles exposed to freshwater or saltwater environments are more likely than original, non-exposed particles to be taken up into an animal's cells, according to new research.
<p>The study offers new evidence that certain microplastics have more potential to infiltrate animals' bodies than previously thought – and this could be of particular concern for aquatic animals.</p><p>Microplastics, or tiny pieces of plastic, are everywhere, including <a href="https://www.ehn.org/plastic-pollution-mount-everest-2648990943.html" target="_blank">Mount Everest</a>. Over time, plastics discarded by humans break down into small pieces and spread across the environment, especially marine and freshwater ecosystems, and are consumed by organisms including <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18678044/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mussels</a> and <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.6b00183?casa_token=tfRj5tB4tZMAAAAA:_gvjll0GmT_DD0IqEO1t9bCcqha--I2aEeo2oFP3jEKC2u3MIkzVsacT4uZqstweQ-bVdQJ37bDZc8U" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">zebrafish</a>.</p><p>But so much about microplastics has not been studied, including whether particles can enter the cells of different animals and organisms and cause health risks, or affect the environment.</p><p>"There are plenty of knowledge gaps," Christian Laforsch, professor of animal ecology at the University of Bayreuth and senior author of the study, told EHN. "For instance, microplastics go from the digestive tract into the tissue [of certain aquatic organisms], but no one knows exactly why."</p><p>In the new study, Laforsch and colleagues found that microplastics exposed to freshwater or saltwater for several weeks are around 10 times more likely to enter the cells of mice compared to pristine particles. While the study was only done using mice cells, it's possible that a similar relationship could be observed in aquatic animals that encounter such non-pristine microplastics on a regular basis, which could also have further unknown implications for their predators (including humans).</p>
<iframe src="https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/microplastics-in-ocean" loading="lazy" style="width: 100%; height: 600px; border: 0px none;"></iframe>
<p>These microplastic particles develop a coating of other molecules and microorganisms – acting somewhat like a "Trojan horse": other cells are more likely to engulf the coated microplastic particles (compared to pristine, uncoated particles), which can then potentially infiltrate an organism's circulatory system.</p><p>However, the results don't necessarily suggest that microplastics exposed to freshwater or saltwater pose a greater health risk to human or other organisms – that still needs to be studied further.</p><p>"We can't make direct conclusions about the health effects [of the microplastics studied]," Holger Kress, a professor of biological physics at the University of Bayreuth who was also involved in the study, told EHN.</p><p>While there is research about the <a href="https://www3.epa.gov/region1/airquality/pm-human-health.html#:~:text=Health%20studies%20have%20shown%20a,as%20asthma%20attacks%20and%20bronchitis." target="_blank">health risks of inhaling particulate matter</a>, little is known about the health effects of microplastics. Still, the new research adds one piece to a big puzzle.</p>
<p>Many physical and biological properties – for instance, the texture, charge, or size – of a particle may be responsible for the environmental and health effects of microplastics. And understanding which properties are responsible is a step-by-step scientific process.</p><p>"It [the field of microplastics] is such a complex topic, but you have to start somewhere," Laforsch said. "If we know what plastic properties might be toxic, we can design properties that might not harm the environment."</p><p>Furthermore, pristine particles have been primarily used in microplastic-related toxicological studies to date. But plastic particles in nature are often far from pristine.</p><p>"A lot of plastics spend time spiraling through the environment, and the watershed is an active vector to transport them to an aquatic environment," Janice Brahney, an assistant professor of watershed sciences at Utah State University who was not involved in the study, told EHN.</p>
<p>Brahney, who recently <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6496/1257" target="_blank">published a study</a> showing how many microplastic particles accumulate in isolated areas of the United States, notes that the microplastics she has observed through her previous work have in fact not been pristine.</p><p>She adds that because the plastics are so long-lived, "it's very plausible that most environmental plastics will have some aquatic lifetime."</p><p>Pristine microplastics are not very representative of those found in the environment, both in terms of physical properties and how likely they are to get absorbed by an organism. And this may cause scientists to reconsider how they study microplastics in the laboratory going forward.</p><p>"The laboratory studies that only use pristine particles may strongly underestimate the strength of interaction between an organism's cells and the particles," Kress said.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.ehn.org/microplastics-in-water-2649475744.html" target="_blank">EHN</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- People Eat 50,000+ Microplastics Every Year, New Study Finds ... ›
- Microplastics Are Raining Down on Cities - EcoWatch ›
- 15.5 Million Tons of Microplastics Litter Ocean Floor ›
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\Anastasiia Krivenok / Moment / Getty Images
Around the holidays, it's estimated that Americans throw out an extra 1 million tons of trash per week – and one of the biggest offenders of seasonal waste is single-use gift wrap.
Use the tips in this eco-friendly gift wrapping guide to cut down your environmental impact this year.
1. Wrap Boxes With Brown Paper Bags
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk0ODEwNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTk3MjQ1OH0.lkGK1xl0bRqKuI4NcbjNtQxk1a45dFH_kYK-0hL_pT8/img.jpg?width=1200&coordinates=0%2C1520%2C0%2C1520&height=800" id="c2de7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d8195023cd1ceaa122ad09763ee876fb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="800" /><p>Newspaper is the old standard, but for those of us who don't receive a physical paper – or who just want to make our gifts a little more personal – recyclable paper bags work great. If you've got a stash of, say, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trader-joes-plastic-waste-2630818452.html" target="_self">Trader Joe's bags</a> taking over your cabinet, cut them flat and use the non-printed side as a canvas. Decorate with a hand-written message, drawing, or stamped design.</p>2. Reuse Cardboard Shipping Boxes
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk0ODQxOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MjU1Mjg2MH0.5ZjP3o-ODvXH0fKbwEKD9inQza-qisGF5sox9AkpMLA/img.jpg?width=980" id="9c03f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a928dd386cfa9785c06a8b3118f9fe6b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="6000" data-height="4000" /><p>Using your delivery parcels instead of store-bought gift boxes is one of the easiest eco-friendly gift wrapping swaps you can make. Likely, this year you'll be doing more <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/online-shopping-brick-mortar-eco-friendly-2247525362.html" target="_self">online shopping</a> than risking crowded stores, which means many items will come in a perfect-sized box that's ready for wrapping. Just don't forget to recycle or compost all of that cardboard after Christmas morning.</p>3. Upcycle Other Shipping Supplies
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk0ODQ4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjkxNDA0Mn0.z7aKpl6Vz7y7-oaFUG1zYzFbffG10-pcIB-mU_pOp2E/img.jpg?width=980" id="6094e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3835fe812cc589bc0fe1ec1af3a21128" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="3024" data-height="2016" /><p>Boxes aren't the only thing you can reuse from your online purchases. Throughout the year, save the tissue paper sheets and brown or white packing paper companies often use to ship their products. Then, when the holidays come around, you'll have your eco-friendly gift wrap ready to go. The reflective bubble wrap you may receive in your <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/best-meal-delivery-service-2648715336.html" target="_self">meal delivery service</a> makes for great festive wrapping, too. </p>4. Make Your Own Stamps
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk0ODQ0MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDMzOTIzMH0.KmPzag9aTA7Rcjat1VYG3KS_Mf4ohwHQXwK1lrdIMOw/img.jpg?width=1200&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=800" id="84efc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="174c01a0adf5877b937353a0e4b0386d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="800" /><p>Of course, not all packages come in a box. Padded envelopes are another popular way to ship small items. Before recycling, repurpose bubble-lined mailers into stamps. You can cut out holiday shapes like stars and gingerbread men, or paint individual bubbles different colors to create fun polka-dot patterns. You can even make it extra sustainable by using crushed up berries for ink.</p>5. Add Natural Festive Touches
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk0ODQ1MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyODQ4NTE0N30.QPH7jTcTlKfQZc_2aZO08F3ptQUbf1Lor_szK0gKq9Q/img.jpg?width=1200&coordinates=0%2C1440%2C0%2C1440&height=800" id="22df4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="811c947ee0010c432f2a1798d7845155" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="800" /><p>Rather than use a shiny plastic bow, go au naturale with tree branches, cotton buds, cinnamon sticks, small pinecones, rosemary, fallen leaves, or whatever else you can sustainably source in your area. The easiest way to gather eco-friendly gift garnishes is to clip sprigs off your own <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/real-or-fake-christmas-tree-2641614012.html" target="_self">Christmas tree</a>, but you can also pick some off the ground at your neighborhood tree lot or get scraps from local farms.</p>6. Swap Paper for Fabric Gift Wrap
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="490c93b9dc835241815ffb3c0afc1b1a"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rxl0X2F2Jiw?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Make your eco-friendly gift wrapping part of your present by opting for a scarf, shawl, pocket square, or handkerchief over traditional paper. As the above video shows, it takes just seconds to package items using the Furoshiki method of fabric wrapping – and you don't even need to box the item beforehand, which cuts out another piece of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/waste-free-holiday-2641562236.html" target="_self">holiday waste</a>.</p>7. Use Biodegradable Paper Tape
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk0ODQ3MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1OTkwMDQ5Nn0.wkjMReu4YTscu60WiK6Dwb4N7tusVZz4JxFqPX8WySY/img.jpg?width=980" id="f2b88" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9bc225e154f806bb190d83e6acd6fa9d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="3000" data-height="2007" /><p>A not-so-obvious source of holiday waste is what holds your packaging together: single-use plastic tape. For eco-friendly gift wrapping, consider using compostable paper tape or washi tape. These biodegradable alternatives are made with wood fibers, pulp, or bark and natural adhesives. They come in a multitude of patterns and colors – including plain brown – and you can even find festive rolls coated with <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/uk-retailers-glitter-ban-christmas-2648228675.html" target="_self">sustainable glitter</a>.</p>8. Ditch the Tape Altogether
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ae8e240fc389d37f7f0facf88dd1082e"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7TA4Whui_xA?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>You don't have to be an origami pro to learn the art of tape-free gift wrapping. As you can see in the video above, it's pretty simple to fold your wrapping paper into itself and secure your gift with no tape required. If you <em>do </em>happen to be an origami pro (or if all the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/social-distancing-celebrations-2645538300.html" target="_self">holiday cheer</a> has left you optimistically ambitious), there are ways to incorporate <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccL-e0zJG8w" target="_blank">fun folds</a> into your wrapping, too.</p>9. Turn Old Clothes Into Ribbons and Bows
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk0ODQ3Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NTc0MTQ3Mn0.IWybrXLdL_z-6QXh4auuvyv0sbUCa0BjILbm_G1ZvPk/img.jpg?width=980" id="a17e4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ac16e3a0c4b5de2717b22e8872b3e799" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="6000" data-height="4000" /><p>Button-down shirts, flannels, or even T-shirts you no longer need can be upcycled into reusable fabric ribbons and bows. Cut strips as thin or as thin as you'd like, then tie them around your boxes to add some color and texture to your gifts. You can sew around the outside for a more durable ribbon, or leave the frayed edges for a rustic feel.</p>10. Tie Gifts Up With Compostable Twine
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk0ODQ1OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MjgzNjcwOX0.zdFSHdFZd1u5zJFMurETn7UZWxROQQBu_UixG4L56bY/img.jpg?width=1200&coordinates=0%2C1376%2C0%2C1376&height=800" id="d6faa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3b213b586ab133aadd3960b4b3cbca9e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="800" /><p>Don't have any clothing you're willing to part with? You're not totally out of luck. Many thin ropes and twines are made from organic cotton, hemp, and other natural fibers that can be reused as eco-friendly gift wrapping year after year or composted after use.</p>11. Look Through Old Household Items
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk0ODQ3My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MTg1NDkyN30.rerLN_d5X_D0AhYpooxPe5oewX3lUBB87kV3A4vBxfc/img.jpg?width=980" id="50ab1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="48d8b9e5b27b8877cf7905159f1eb6bf" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="3000" data-height="2000" /><p>You probably have many items lying around that can be used as unconventional yet beautiful eco-friendly gift wrapping materials for smaller gifts. The outdated road maps cluttering your glove compartment, books on the shelf you'll never read again, and sheet music collecting dust after your child quit the middle-school band can all be given a second life around the holidays.</p>FAQ: Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping
<p><strong>Is wrapping paper recyclable?</strong></p><p>Some wrapping paper is recyclable, and some is not. If it's metallic, has glitter on it, is textured, or has a waxy coating, it can't be recycled. However, plain, unlaminated wrapping papers are usually able to be recycled. Check with your local waste management agency to see specific guidelines for your area.</p> <p><strong>Is tissue paper recyclable?</strong></p><p>Because most tissue paper is made with low-grade paper, it is not typically recyclable. However, some recycling facilities may accept it, so be sure to check with your local waste management agency. Thankfully, tissue paper tends to hold up well year after year, so it can be reused for many holiday seasons.</p> <p><strong>How do you wrap a gift?</strong></p><p>Wrapping gifts is like riding a bike: once you learn, you'll never forget it – but there may be some ugly moments along the way. Check out the video below to learn the basics of wrapping presents (but make sure you implement our eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas, too).</p>Watch this video on how to gift wrap a box:
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ffdda9fd0538c28037dd807fdc02791f"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l_pp-1qu9Ig?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>From Your Site Articles
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Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé Are Worst Plastic Polluters of 2020, Have Made 'Zero Progress,' New Report Finds
11 December 2020
Business
A fish-shaped structure filled with plastic bottles on the waterfront in the Mediterranean port of Limassol, Cyprus, on Dec. 8, 2020. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestlé are the world leaders in plastic pollution, according to a new report from Break Free From Plastic. Danil Shamkin / NurPhoto via Getty Images
The top plastic polluters of 2020 have been announced, and Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestlé top the list for the third year in a row.
<p>In a new <a href="https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/BFFP-2020-Brand-Audit-Report.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> demanding corporate responsibility for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic-pollution" target="_self">plastic pollution</a>, <a href="https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/" target="_blank">Break Free From Plastic (BFFP)</a> named the repeat offenders and called them out for what appeared to be negligible progress in curbing the amount of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic-waste" target="_self">plastic trash</a> they produce despite <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-pollution-companies-oceans-2616204586.html" target="_self">corporate claims otherwise</a>.</p><p>"The title of Top Global Polluters describes the parent companies whose brands were recorded polluting the most places around the world with the greatest amount of plastic waste," the report's executive summary noted. "Our 2020 Top Global Polluters remain remarkably consistent with our previous brand audit reports, demonstrating that the same corporations are continuing to pollute the most places with the most single-use plastic."</p>
<p>The report employs brand audits and global cleanups to collect and count plastic debris from around the world. This year, nearly 15,000 volunteers collected 346,494 pieces of plastic in 55 countries to contribute to the report, a <a href="https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/2020/12/02/top-plastic-polluters-of-2020/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BFFP press release</a> said.</p><p>Over 5,000 brands were cataloged this year, but <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coca-cola" target="_self">Coca-Cola</a> quickly emerged as the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/coca-cola-plastic-pollution-2644896488.html" target="_self">world's number one plastic polluter</a>. Its beverage bottles were found most frequently, discarded on beaches, rivers, parks and other litter sites in 51 of the 55 nations surveyed, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/07/coca-cola-pepsi-and-nestle-named-top-plastic-polluters-for-third-year-in-a-row" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported. The brand was worse than PepsiCo and Nestlé, the next two top offenders, combined.</p>
<p>Plastic pollution is one of the leading environmental problems of the modern-day. Plastics do not disintegrate or disappear, but instead break up into <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/microplastics" target="_self">microplastics</a> that get consumed by the tiniest organisms. These toxins bioaccumulate and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/microplastics-found-human-organs-2647014349.html" target="_self">move their way up the food chain</a> and into our <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-pollution-arctic-snow-ice-2639834233.html" target="_self">air</a>, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/seafood-study-plastic-contamination-2646982206.html" target="_self">food</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/microplastics-drinking-water-who-2639953290.html" target="_self">water</a>.</p><p>"The world's top polluting corporations claim to be working hard to solve plastic pollution, but instead they are continuing to pump out harmful single-use plastic packaging," Emma Priestland, Break Free From Plastic's global campaign coordinator, told The Guardian.</p><p>Priestland emphasized that the only way to halt the growing global tide of plastic litter was to stop production, phase out single-use products and implement reuse systems, the news report said.</p>
<p>BFFP called on all polluting corporations to take "full responsibility for the externalized cost of their single-use plastic products, such as the costs of waste collection, treatment and the environmental damage caused by them" in its release. The group warned that a "business as usual" approach could double plastic production by 2030 and potentially triple it by 2050.</p><p>As much as 91% of all plastic ever created has ended up being incinerated, in landfill or in the natural environment, The Guardian reported. Contrary to popular belief, it isn't recycled and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-recycling-myth-2647706452.html">recycling is not an effective way to deal with overproduction and overuse of plastics</a>.</p><p>Simon Mbata, the national coordinator for a group of waste pickers who helped with the trash survey, told The Guardian, "Whatever cannot be recycled must not be produced."</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk0ODM2NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2OTkxNDk4Nn0._iZ9jZAHum_bfUtrPbh53Tp_D-WNv2QPc5-c4JZMmwI/img.jpg?width=980" id="24319" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dac0417a8147f5396d8b553bd3ba1884" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="630" />
Break Free From Plastic's report lists the world's top plastic polluters. Break Free From Plastic
<p>Priestland said, "Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé should be leading the way in finding real solutions to reinvent how they deliver their products," the news report said. Each company told The Guardian that it had made commitments to increase recycling and reduce virgin plastic use in bottles, despite remaining at the top of the offenders list.</p><p>The BFFP report concluded with a call-to-action for the companies: "The top polluters must reveal how much single-use plastic they use, then set clear, measurable targets for reducing the quantity of single-use plastic items they produce. Finally, they must reinvent their product delivery systems to move beyond single-use plastic altogether."</p>
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550 Groups Urge Biden to Become #PlasticFreePresident With 8 Executive Actions
09 December 2020
Politics
Joe Biden pulls a photograph of himself and a supporter out of a plastic bag before signing it during a campaign event at Western Iowa Tech Community College on Jan. 29, 2020 in Sioux City, Iowa. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
A large and diverse coalition of over 550 organizations came together Tuesday to call on President-elect Joe Biden to tackle the plastic pollution crisis through executive actions that would collectively help turn the tide against consumer waste that is choking the planet's natural world and harming human health.
<p>"More than 99% of plastic is created from chemicals sourced from fossil fuels, including an oversupply of fracked gas, which is spurring a global boom in new plastic production. That plastic is causing serious environmental problems at every step of its lifecycle," the groups <a href="https://www.plasticfreepresident.org/" target="_blank">point out</a>, explaining the need for action.</p><p>In addition to the 10 steps previously proposed by advocacy organizations urging Biden to lead as a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/09/biden-urged-be-climatepresident-taking-these-10-game-changing-steps-first-10-days" target="_blank">#ClimatePresident</a>, the coalition behind the new call is pushing him to become the first<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlasticFreePresident" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> #PlasticFreePresident</a> by embracing their <a href="https://www.plasticfreepresident.org/plastic-free-president-dec2020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Presidential Plastics Action Plan</a>.</p><p>"President-elect Biden can begin solving the plastic pollution crisis in his first days in office without any help from Congress," noted Julie Teel Simmonds, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, a member of the <a href="https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">#BreakFreeFromPlastic</a> movement and a convening partner of the action plan.</p><p>"Implementing this historic plan would protect vulnerable frontline communities and marine life while addressing a key driver of climate change," she said. "It's time to rein in the fossil fuel industry's insidious plans to keep fracking for plastic and polluting poor communities here and around the world."</p>
<div id="b107b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2229bb7fdab06f6107b4ab6f94329489"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1336397474127351810" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">PLASTIC POLLUTION ACTION! Join Earth Island, our project @PlasticPollutes, and 550+ groups launching TODAY the… https://t.co/COuehe7Kbs</div> — Earth Island Institute (@Earth Island Institute)<a href="https://twitter.com/earthisland/statuses/1336397474127351810">1607456961.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The plan urges the incoming Biden administration to:</p><ol><li>Use the purchasing power of the federal government to eliminate single-use plastic items and replace them with reusable products;</li><li>Suspend and deny permits for new or expanded plastic production facilities, associated infrastructure projects, and exports;</li><li>Make corporate polluters pay and reject false solutions;</li><li>Advance environmental justice in petrochemical corridors;</li><li>Update existing federal regulations using the best available science and technology to curtail pollution from plastic facilities;</li><li>Stop subsidizing plastic producers;</li><li>Join international efforts to address the global plastic pollution crisis through new and strengthened multilateral agreements; and</li><li>Reduce and mitigate the impacts of abandoned, discarded and lost fishing gear.</li></ol><p>Each broad recommendation comes with specific suggestions. As part of the effort to eliminate single-use plastic, the coalition proposes appointing a plastic pollution czar to coordinate reduction efforts across federal agencies and internationally. To make corporate polluters pay, the plan pressures Biden to throw his support behind the historic Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/02/11/greenpeace-responds-introduction-groundbreaking-break-free-plastic-legislation" target="_blank">unveiled</a> in Congress earlier this year.</p><p>"Plastic production and pollution impact public health, the environment, and climate, and it has reached crisis levels around the world, with the United States as one of the biggest contributors," Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) said Friday, explaining why he introduced the bill — with Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) as well as Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) — and vowing to reintroduce it in the next congressional session.</p><p>"The Presidential Plastics Action Plan lays out how the incoming Biden administration can lead on this plastic waste issue and enact real solutions like updating important regulations and greater cooperation with the international community," Lowenthal said. "We are running out of time to deal with this crisis, but our bill and the Presidential Plastics Action Plan are important approaches to put us on the right track moving forward."</p>
<div id="2abb2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3d2f92639b32e7cea5c781fe091b0e1e"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1336026891103383552" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">We need to #BreakFreeFromPlastic, and that means making sure the big manufacturers generating massive amounts of wa… https://t.co/k0wJaNwXHU</div> — Tom Udall (@Tom Udall)<a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorTomUdall/statuses/1336026891103383552">1607368607.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Noting petrochemical industry plans for more than 300 new projects over the next decade, the coalition pushes the incoming president to direct federal agencies to deny permits for building or expanding refineries, ethane crackers, pipelines, natural gas liquid storage facilities and hubs, import and export terminals, and other related infrastructure.</p><p>In its demand for advancing environmental justice, the plan acknowledges that "petrochemical companies continue to locate new and expanded plastics facilities near existing fossil fuel infrastructure, which means they are targeting the Gulf Coast, Appalachia, the Ohio River Valley, and other communities that already shoulder a heavy burden of oil, gas, and plastic industry pollution."</p><p>One of these hubs is the so-called Cancer Alley, an industrial stretch of Louisiana that runs along the Mississippi River that is the site of a multibillion petrochemical complex that Taiwan-based Formosa Plastics Group intends to build despite <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/02/14/groups-challenge-louisiana-permits-formosa-plastics-giant-petrochemical-complex" target="_blank">objections and health concerns</a> from community members.</p><p>Sharon Lavigne, founder and president of the group RISE St. James, is helping to lead the local fight against Formosa's plans for the plant. She is also a supporter of the plastics plan targeting the next administration.</p><p>"If the Formosa Plastics complex is built, it would be a death sentence for St. James Parish. We already have so many people dying here, mostly from cancer, and others with terrible reproductive issues. If the petrochemical buildout continues, we won't be able to breathe the air and we will die," said Lavigne. "We are asking the Biden administration to consider the lives of the people here in St. James Parish and take action to protect us."</p><p>Backers of the action plan want Biden to not only aid communities across the country impacted by plastic pollution and industry but also to address the crisis on an international scale. As <em>Common Dreams</em> <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/16/more-two-thirds-un-members-embrace-global-plastic-pollution-treaty-not-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> last month, under President Donald Trump, the U.S. government has been in a small minority of United Nations member states signaling it is unwilling to participate in a global treaty on the issue.</p><p>Carroll Muffett, president of the Center for International Environmental Law, another convening partner of the plan, said that "President-elect Biden should commit the United States to actively support a new global treaty on plastic pollution; use U.S. trade power to support real development, not plastic polluters; and move quickly to reverse U.S. subsidies and export policies that are accelerating the plastic crisis globally."</p>
<div id="0f02c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8ab2741072cce9b2bce05bd8b80313aa"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1336354862502535171" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Plastic is an environmental nightmare. Yet the fossil fuel industry plans to increase plastic production by 40% ove… https://t.co/5fty1a7M7w</div> — CIEL (@CIEL)<a href="https://twitter.com/ciel_tweets/statuses/1336354862502535171">1607446802.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Other convening partners are the Azulita Project, Beyond Plastics, Break Free From Plastic, Center for Coalfield Justice, Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research and Education, Clean Air Council, Earthworks, Food and Water Watch, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Greenpeace, Last Beach Clean Up, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Plastic Pollution Coalition, Surfrider Foundation, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services, and Wishtoyo Foundation.</p><p>Hundreds of other groups have also signed on, including dozens of local chapters of 350.org, Amazon Watch, Climate Hawks Vote, Friends of the Earth, GreenLatinos, Plastic Free America, Sierrra Club, Stand.earth, WildEarth Guardians, Zero Hour, and various branches of Indivisible and the Sunrise Movement.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/08/over-550-groups-urge-biden-become-plasticfreepresident-eight-executive-actions%20" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Plastic pollution lines a Singapore beach. Vaidehi Shah/ CC BY 2.0
By Tara Lohan
Our plastic pollution problem has reached new heights and new depths.
Scientists have found bits of plastic on the seafloor, thousands of feet below the ocean's surface. Plastic debris has also washed ashore on remote islands; traveled to the top of pristine mountains; and been found inside the bodies of whales, turtles, seabirds and people, too.
<p>Tiny plastic particles are now ubiquitous and insidious. And the mounting pollution that swirls in ocean gyres and washes ashore on beaches poses a big threat to wildlife and ecosystems. So too, does the production of that plastic.</p><p>A number of recent studies — not to mention articles and essays published here in <em>The Revelator</em> — have helped pinpoint just how bad things have gotten and also what we can do about the problem. Here's what you should know about plastic:</p>
1. There’s a lot of it.
<p>In a September study published in <em>Science </em>about the growth of plastic waste, an international team of researchers estimated that 19 to 23 million metric tons — or 11% of plastic waste generated — ended up in aquatic ecosystems in 2016. And even with countries pledging to help cut waste or better manage it, the amount of plastic pollution is <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6510/1515" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">likely to double</a> in the next 10 years.</p><p>A <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6510/1455" target="_blank">study</a> about solutions to plastic waste, published in the same issue, attributed the plastic pollution epidemic to a rise in single-use plastic and "an expanding 'throw-away' culture." The researchers also found that waste-management systems simply can't deal with the onslaught of plastic, which is why so much of it ends up in the environment. We now know that only <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/whopping-91-percent-plastic-isnt-recycled/" target="_blank">9% of the plastic products</a> we use actually get recycled.</p>2. The United States is a big culprit.
<p>Plastic pollution is a global problem, but the United States plays an outsized role. In 2016 the United States was responsible for more plastic waste than any other country, a <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/44/eabd0288" target="_blank">new study</a> in <em>Science Advances</em> found. Some of that waste was dumped illegally within the country and some was shipped to other countries that lacked the necessary infrastructure to handle it.</p><p>"The amount of plastic waste generated in the United States estimated to enter the coastal environment in 2016 was up to five times larger than that estimated for 2010, rendering the United States' contribution among the highest in the world," the researchers concluded. Part of that is because the United States ranks second in exporting plastic scrap.</p>3. It threatens wildlife and ecosystems.
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg3MTUwMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzE1MzM2MH0.YL5C-5GF2mq9OZBLSkcAnreq2Mai20DweKSNqeUSWM4/img.jpg?width=980" id="20233" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3db4a05d5d417d925a770cf309db1db1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="640" data-height="426" />A giant otter plays with a plastic bottle. Paul Williams / CC BY-NC 2.0
<p>Out of sight (for Americans) is <em>not </em>out of mind — and definitely not out of our waterways. An estimated 700 marine species and 50 freshwater species have either ingested plastic or been entangled in it.</p><p>"If we don't get the plastic pollution problem in the ocean under control, we threaten contaminating the entire marine food web, from phytoplankton to whales," George Leonard, the Ocean Conservancy's chief scientist and coauthor of the September <em>Science </em>study about plastic waste's increase, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/10/plastic-pollution-huge-problem-not-too-late-to-fix-it/" target="_blank">told <em>National Geographic</em></a>. "And by the time the science catches up to this, perhaps definitively concluding that this is problematic, it will be too late. We will not be able to go back. That massive amount of plastic will be embedded in the ocean's wildlife essentially forever."</p><p>Microplastics have also been found in terrestrial animals, soil, drinking water and, not surprisingly, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2020/08/18/microplastics-found-in-human-organs-for-the-first-time/?sh=42994a4e16f2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in our own bodies</a>, although it's not clear yet just how dangerous that is for people.</p>4. The fracking boom is producing a plastic boom.
<p>Despite the known risks of plastic pollution and concern over its mounting presence in the environment, plastic production — driven by fossil fuels like fracked gas and its component chemicals — is on pace to increase by 40% in the next 10 years.</p><p>The American Chemistry Council <a href="https://www.americanchemistry.com/Shale-Infographic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">boasted that shale gas drilling is driving a surge</a> in plastic production, including the investment of more than $200 billion to fund new and expanded operations at 343 production plants in the United States.</p><p>On the ground this means more harmful pollution along the Gulf Coast's "Cancer Alley," where petrochemicals have been manufactured for decades in low-wealth communities of color. And it means the build-out of new facilities in Rust Belt states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.</p><p>Fracking also causes harmful greenhouse gas emissions, like methane, to be released into the atmosphere — amplifying the climate crisis. The refining process and the incineration of plastic waste also further drives greenhouse emissions and hazardous pollution.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg3MTUwOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzg2OTc5MH0.sCU4rFAS-Hmm05EIB_ZmLIEMZ72aveHPsjE19BhF2bU/img.jpg?width=980" id="f4f34" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3f27ed0c4224b3dc997157482efc3e27" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="799" data-height="534" />
A petrochemical plant in Houston's ship channel. Louis Vest / CC BY-NC 2.0
5. Solutions are multifaceted.
<p><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/plastic-pollution-do-beach-cleanups-really-make-a-difference/a-46196975" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beach cleanups</a> tend to make headlines, but it's a losing battle as long as petrochemical companies keep producing so much plastic and we keep using plastic for products we're meant to toss after a single use.</p><p>The September study in <em><a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6510/1455" target="_blank">Science</a></em> on plastic solutions found that it's possible to cut plastic pollution — perhaps as much as 80% by 2040 — but it will take systemic change both in reducing the amount of plastic produced and in better managing the waste stream.</p><p>Regulatory efforts can help this process, including by regulating plastic as a pollution source under the Clean Water Act.</p><p>Efforts to ban single-use plastics, as the European Union aims to do by 2021, are another positive step. So too are "<a href="https://therevelator.org/california-plastic-legislation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">circular economy laws</a>," which have been <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5845?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R.5%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">introduced, but not yet passed</a>, in the United States.</p><p>These laws would halt the production of new petrochemical facilities and encourage businesses to take responsibility for the full lifecycle of the products they produce by requiring them to be reused, adequately recycled or composted.</p><p>Getting circular economy laws enacted, though, will mean enough public and political will to counter the petrochemical, fossil fuel and plastic industries.</p><p>At <em>The Revelator</em>, we'll keep covering the push for solutions to the plastic problem and new science to better understand the threats. And if you want to know more about how wildlife has already been affected, what laws could help, whether industry will be held accountable and more, check out these stories from our archives:</p><p><strong>Laws and Regulations</strong></p><p><strong></strong><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-pollution-warnings/" target="_blank">Plastic Pollution: Could We Have Solved the Problem Nearly 50 Years Ago?</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/clean-water-plastic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How an Old Law Is Helping Fight New Plastic Problems</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/california-plastic-legislation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New California Bill Could Revolutionize How the U.S. Tackles Plastic Pollution</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-pollution-laws/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What Laws Work Best to Cut Plastic Pollution?</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-illegal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Can Plastic Ever Be Made Illegal?</a></p><p><strong>Impacts</strong></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/toxic-plastic-pollution-food-chain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Something Fishy: Toxic Plastic Pollution Is Traveling Up the Food Chain</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-pollution-ship-shore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Plastic Pollution: From Ship to Shore</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastics-fracking-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Plans to Turn America's Rust Belt Into a New Plastics Belt Are Bad News for the Climate</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/trash-galapagos-ecotourism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trash in the Galápagos Reveals the Dark Side of Ecotourism</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/elephant-seals-diving-garbage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Elephant Seals: Diving Through Garbage</a></p><p><strong>Taking Action</strong></p><p><em><a href="https://therevelator.org/story-plastic-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Story of Plastic: </a></em><a href="https://therevelator.org/story-plastic-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Film Exposes the Source of Our Plastic Crisis</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-movie-stuff/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How to Win the Fight Against Plastic</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/cities-zero-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Can Cities Go Zero-waste? One Japanese Town Tried</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/secret-value-trash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Secret Value of Trash</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/junk-raft-polluted-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Junk Raft: A Journey Through a Polluted Ocean</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/bioplastics-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Are Bioplastics a Better Environmental Choice?</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-straws-problem-solution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Plastic Pollution Is a Problem — These Kids Are Working for a Solution</a></p><p><a href="https://therevelator.org/thai-activists-fight-trash-taboo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thai Activists Fight Trash Taboo</a></p><p><em><a href="https://therevelator.org/author/taralohan/" target="_blank">Tara Lohan</a> is deputy editor of The Revelator and has worked for more than a decade as a digital editor and environmental journalist focused on the intersections of energy, water and climate. Her work has been published by The Nation, American Prospect, High Country News, Grist, Pacific Standard and others. She is the editor of two books on the global water crisis.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/plastic-pollution-archives/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>. </em></p>
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Pollution on the Ganges River. Kaushik Ghosh / Moment Open / Getty Images
The most polluted river in the world continues to be exploited through fishing practices that threaten endangered wildlife, new research shows.
<p>The Ganges River is a quagmire of raw sewage, toxic waste and overfishing from the crowded cities along its waterway. It is also home to the endangered Ganges <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2020/nov/24/rare-dolphin-trapped-in-net-in-odishas-govari-river-dies-2227377.html" target="_blank">river dolphin</a> and the critically endangered three-striped roofed turtle, along with other threatened marine species.</p><p>As part of the National Geographic Society's "Sea to Source: Ganges" expedition, a study was conducted to understand how much plastic pollution or "ghost" fishing threatens the native <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife">wildlife</a>. Fishing nets are common in the river, and entanglements frequently occur.</p>
<p>According to interviews conducted with the local fishing community as part of the study, nets and equipment are commonly left in the river. Researchers at the University of Exeter, who gathered data for the study, found disposal systems in short supply.</p><p>"The Ganges River supports some of the world's largest inland fisheries, but no research has been done to assess plastic pollution from this industry, and its impacts on wildlife," said Dr. Sarah Nelms, a postdoctoral associate at the Center for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter, and an author of the study.</p><p>"Ingesting plastic can harm wildlife, but our threat assessment focused on entanglement, which is known to injure and kill a wide range of marine species."</p>
<p>Professor Heather Koldewey, of the Zoological Society of London and the University of Exeter, and a National Geographic Fellow believes the "circular economy" – the reuse of products and equipment that have monetary value – can play a role in keeping nets out of the river, especially when nets are made of durable nylon material which can be reused to make carpet or clothing.</p><p>"Collection and recycling of nylon 6 has strong potential as a solution because it would cut plastic pollution and provide an income," she said.</p><p>Plastic pollution in <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/ocean_plastics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">marine </a>and <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/11/30/how-humanity-lost-control-of-plastic-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">freshwater</a> ecosystems continues on an increasing scale to cause wildlife death. But Koldewey believes behavior changes through this new research could have positive effects.</p><p>"This is a complex problem that will require multiple solutions – all of which must work for both local communities and wildlife."</p>
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Artist's impression of an Othalo community, imagined by architect Julien De Smedt. Othalo
By Victoria Masterson
Using one of the world's problems to solve another is the philosophy behind a Norwegian start-up's mission to develop affordable housing from 100% recycled plastic.
<p>Since 1950, more than nine billion tonnes of plastic have been produced globally, of which only 9% is recycled, according to <a href="https://www.othalo.com/october-5-press-release-norwegian-c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">building tech company Othalo</a>, while almost a billion people live in slums.</p><p>It has partnered with <a href="https://unhabitat.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">UN-Habitat</a> – the United Nations program for human settlements and sustainable urban development – to create components to build three demonstration homes to help tackle Africa's housing shortage.</p>
<p>"In sub-Saharan Africa alone, the immediate need for low-cost housing is 160 million units," the company says.</p><p>This is expected to increase to 360 million by 2050 as a result of rapid urbanization. But with today's plastic waste, Othalo believes more than one billion houses can be built.</p><p>In 2021, the first factory producing elements such as partitions for walls, ceilings and floors from recycled plastic will be built in Kenya.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="915a481fc53353483c30c0c161b10097"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uu0inpxmCzw?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
Sustainable Homes
<p>UN-Habitat says an <a href="https://unhabitat.org/un-habitat-aims-to-use-plastic-waste-to-support-housing-for-all" target="_blank">estimated 60% of people living in urban areas of Africa are in informal settlements</a>. At the same time, between 1990 and 2017, African countries imported around 230 metric tonnes of plastic, "which mostly ended up in dump sites creating a massive environmental challenge," the agency adds.</p><p>UN-Habitat deputy executive director, Victor Kisob, said the aim of the partnership with Othalo was to "promote adequate, sustainable and affordable housing for all."</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NDc5NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMTYzNjYzNH0.2CbfdMTXXQP4Vmie56i-OgiW69VgLHRXL8ky4qI48Ng/img.png?width=980" id="78bba" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d53bddf04ac55d4eda2bc1690954fe4d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1640" data-height="916" />
Artist's impression of an Othalo community, imagined by architect Julien De Smedt. Othalo
<p>Othalo's process involves shredding plastic waste and mixing it with other elements, including non-flammable materials. Components are used to build up to four floors, with a home of 60 square metres using eight tons of recycled plastic. A factory with one production line can produce 2,800 housing units annually.</p><p>Following successful laboratory tests, Othalo's factory in Estonia has started producing components to build three demonstration homes for Kenya's capital, Nairobi; Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon and Dakar, the capital of Senegal.</p><p>Othalo founder Frank Cato Lahti has been developing and testing the technology since 2016 in partnership with <a href="https://www.sintef.no/en/" target="_blank">SINTEF</a>, a 70-year-old independent research organization in Trondheim, Norway, and experts at Norway's <a href="https://en.uit.no/startsida" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">University of Tromsø</a>.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NDgwNS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjQwNjc4OH0.Gt1tcWTTglKeGrsxBC9C1YxZfBMYbr5gSw7J-JB07ew/img.png?width=980" id="d0165" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ebfc38fb8b318b7709ff1fa213b4efa7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1232" data-height="914" />
Othalo founder Frank Cato Lahti. Othalo
<p>Almost <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/publications/2018-revision-of-world-urbanization-prospects.html" target="_blank">seven out of every 10 people in the world are expected to live in urban areas by 2050</a>. More than 90% of this growth will take place in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.</p><p>"In the absence of effective urban planning, the consequences of this rapid urbanization will be dramatic," UN-Habitat warns.</p><p>Lack of proper housing and growth of slums, inadequate and outdated infrastructure, escalating poverty and unemployment, and pollution and health issues, are just some of the effects.</p><p>Mindsets, policies, and approaches towards urbanization need to change for the growth of cities and urban areas to be turned into opportunities that will leave nobody behind, UN-Habitat says.</p>Pioneers of Change
<p>Reimagining cities and communities for greater resilience and sustainability was a key topic at the<a href="https://www.weforum.org/events/pioneers-of-change-summit-2020" target="_blank"> World Economic Forum's Pioneers of Change Summit 2020</a>.</p><p>The digital event brought together innovators and stakeholders from around the world to explore solutions to the challenges facing enterprises, governments and society.</p><p>Opening the summit, <a href="https://www.weforum.org/events/pioneers-of-change-summit-2020/sessions/opening-plenary-8f731cbc65" target="_blank">Stephan Mergenthaler, the Forum's Head of Strategic Intelligence and a member of the Executive Committee</a>, said: "We need to change the way we produce, the way we live and interact in our cities to make this transition to net-zero emissions a reality…</p><p>"And as this year has illustrated so dramatically, we need to make every effort that we keep populations healthy, if we want to avoid jeopardizing all this progress."</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/un-africa-recycled-plastic-housing/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a>.</em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2649069252#/" target="_self"></a></p>From Your Site Articles
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A team of scientists found microplastics in every snow sample taken from Mount Everest. Mariusz Potocki / National Geographic
Apparently, there ain't no mountain high enough to keep away the twin pressures of plastic pollution and the climate crisis.
<p>A series of newly-published studies based on a National Geographic expedition to Mount Everest in 2019 provide a shocking picture of how human activity is impacting the highest point from sea level on Earth. One of the studies even found <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/microplastics" target="_self">microplastics</a> just below the summit, at 8,440 meters (approximately 27,690 feet).</p><p>"Mt. Everest is somewhere I have always considered remote and pristine," University of Plymouth scientist and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Imogen Napper, who was the lead author on the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastics</a> study, told EcoWatch in an email. "To know we are polluting near the top of the tallest mountain on earth is a real eye opener – we need to protect and care for our planet."</p>
<h3>Microplastics at the Top of the World</h3><p>Napper's study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(20)30550-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>One Earth</em></a> Friday, found microplastics in every snow sample taken from Mount Everest. The findings join a growing body of research showing the extent of microplastic pollution in even the most remote corners of the planet.</p><p>"These are the highest microplastics currently ever discovered," Napper told EcoWatch. "Although it sounds exciting, this means that microplastics have been discovered from the depths of the ocean all the way to the highest mountain on earth."</p><p>There has been growing awareness in recent years of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/china-mount-everest-trash-2629508814.html?share_id=4408439" target="_self">buildup of trash</a> on Mount Everest left behind by tourists and climbers. In 2019, the Tibet Autonomous Region Sports Bureau said it removed 9.3 tons of waste, and China closed its Everest base camp to tourists to prevent more pollution. Some media outlets have even begun to refer to the mountain as the "world's highest garbage dump."</p><p>However, Napper's study is the first to focus on the accumulation of microplastics on the mountain specifically. Microplastics are plastics less than five millimeters in length that typically slough off of larger plastics as they degrade. Their small size means they are easily ingested by animals by mistake and are also extremely difficult to clean up.</p>
<p>Napper's team found more microplastics collected near the base camp, where climbers tend to congregate. But they still found five microfibers at the mountain's "balcony," the highest point they studied. Those fibers numbered one clear acrylic fiber, one red polyester fiber and three blue polyester fibers.</p><p>In general, many of the microplastics found on Everest were fibers that could have been brought by climbers.</p><p>"Samples collected on the mountain and in the valley below it revealed significant quantities of polyester, acrylic, nylon, and polypropylene fibres," Napper told EcoWatch. "The materials are increasingly being used to make the high performance outdoor clothing commonly used by climbers, as well as the tents and climbing ropes used in attempts to climb the mountain."</p>
<p>However, other studies have shown that microplastics can be carried to remote environments by the atmosphere. A <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-pollution-arctic-snow-ice-2639834233.html" target="_self">2019 study</a> found that plastics were being lifted in the air and deposited as snow in the Arctic and the Alps. Napper said similar mechanisms could be bringing the plastics to Everest.</p><p>"[T]he microplastics may have been transported from lower altitudes by the extreme winds which regularly impact the mountain's higher slopes," Napper said.</p><p>So how can we keep Everest, and other remote environments, plastic free? Napper argued that, while reducing plastic use and improving recycling were both important, it is also crucial to develop new materials. This is particularly the case for the kind of specialized gear used to explore remote areas.</p><p>"There are a lot of promising developments in industry at the moment. We need to keep up the momentum, and ensure that athletic gear is tested and evaluated before use," Napper told EcoWatch. "Solutions need to deliver a positive account, not create future issues."</p>
<h3>Glaciers Melting Into Air</h3><p>Napper's article was just one of at least 16 that came out of the 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition. That expedition brought 10 research teams including 34 international and Nepali scientists to Everest from April and June of last year in order to study the impacts of human activity on the mountain.</p><p>In addition to the accumulation of microplastics, studies focused on the impacts of the climate crisis on the mountain. One, <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(20)30915-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">published in iScience</a>, detailed how global warming is actually increasing the oxygen available to human climbers as warmer temperatures have increased air pressure. Another, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(20)30549-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OneEarth</a>, documented how Everest's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/glaciers%5D" target="_self">glaciers</a> have thinned by more than 100 meters (approximately 328 feet) since the 1960s. Not only that, but the ice loss is accelerating, and glaciers are losing mass even at high altitudes.</p><p>Study leader and University of St. Andrews glaciologist Dr. Owen King said the melting of the higher glaciers was the "biggest surprise" from the results. His team measured thinning at the 5,700 meter (approximately 18,702 foot) Khumbu icefall and the 6,000 meter (approximately 19,685 foot) Rongbuk and Rongbuk East glaciers.</p><p>"The conditions found at this altitude are usually considered ideal for snow and ice accumulation, but our data suggest that they have now become more susceptible to ice melt," King said in an email to EcoWatch.</p>
<p>The melting of mountain glaciers is a big deal, because they are an important source of water to surrounding communities.</p><p>"Continued and, as we have shown, accelerating ice loss raises concerns about the sustainability of the supply of glacial meltwater, particularly at times of the year when monsoon rainfall cannot provide a backup, or in times of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drought" target="_self">drought</a>," King said.</p><p>Understanding how climate change will impact mountain glaciers is the ultimate goal of the Perpetual Planet expeditions, of which the Everest trip was the first.</p><p>"The 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition was selected as a fantastic opportunity to support ground breaking research that fills a critical data gap in our understanding of how mountain systems are changing," Nicole Alexiev, vice president of science and innovation at the National Geographic Society, told EcoWatch in an email. "High mountain glaciers serve as the world's water towers, storing and providing water resources for 1/5 of the global populations. Despite the importance of high mountain systems, there is very little research conducted above 5,000m [approximately 16,404 feet] – especially interdisciplinary research – so we were excited to support this expedition which aimed to examine the world's highest mountain and its glaciers using expertise from the disciplines of biology, geology, glaciology, meteorology, and mapping."</p><p>Future expeditions will explore the Andes and western Canada, where mountain glaciers supply water to Santiago, Chile and the Columbia and Fraser river watersheds.</p>
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