plastic pollution

One of the major health concerns associated with the widespread use of plastics is exposure to bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is an endocrine disruptor, meaning it mimics the effects of estrogen on the body and has been linked to the growth of tumors in the breast, uterus and prostate, impacts on pregnancy and fertility and […]

The growing movement to stamp out plastic straws is spreading to San Francisco. Supervisors Katy Tang and Ahsha Safai plan to unveil on Tuesday legislation that prohibits restaurants, bars and coffee shops from serving plastic straws, stirrers or cocktail sticks with beverages, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Instead of the disposable items, the lawmakers suggested […]

By Katie Day and Trent Hodges When we think of plastic pollution, we think of images of plastic bags on the beach, suffering marine life and the almost invisible smog of microplastics in our ocean. What often gets overlooked is the fact that conventional plastic is made from fossil fuels, and is a product of […]

This March, McDonald’s announced that it would phase out plastic straws in its UK restaurants, The Telegraph reported. But now its board of directors is dragging its feet about doing the same on this side of the pond. On May 24, McDonald’s shareholders will vote on a proposal to launch a study that would consider […]

As the UK government and businesses step up their war on single-use plastics, a British inventor has developed a way for UK consumers to hydrate on the go while still joining the fight. James Longcroft launched an Indiegogo campaign Monday to crowdfund production of his Choose Water bottle, which is plastic-free and decomposes within three […]

By Kennedy Bucci and Chelsea Rochman When you think of microplastic pollution, plastic debris less than five millimeters in size, you likely envision the ocean—probably because ocean gyres gained notoriety for being a microplastic soup. But what about our lakes, rivers, forests and fields? They can be just as contaminated with microplastic debris as the […]

One of the factors driving the plastic pollution crisis is that very little of it gets reused effectively—as of 2015, only 9 percent of all plastics ever made had been recycled, a 2017 Science Advances study found. This is because, as ScienceNews explained, when plastics break down, they usually break down into molecules that can’t […]

In a historic move, more than 40 UK companies have signed up to fight plastic pollution as part of the UK Plastics Pact, The Independent reported Wednesday. The pact, which officially launches today, is a groundbreaking alliance of companies, non-governmental organizations and governments working to transform packaging in the UK by 2025. “We need to […]