Cigarette butts are the No. 1 form of plastic pollution, with around 4.5 trillion tossed cigarette butts in the world today. In Sweden, a company called Corvid Cleaning is using crows to pick up this discarded waste. For every butt deposited, the birds earn food. They collect the cigarettes, then drop them off in a […]
Latin America does not want the U.S.’s plastic waste. As data shows that U.S. plastic exports to some countries in the region more than doubled during 2020, more than 70 organizations from around the world called for an end to this trade, and for the U.S. to manage its own waste. “Crossborder plastic waste trade […]
It seems microplastics — tiny plastic fragments that measure less than five millimeters in length and come from a variety of sources, including clothing, packaging, cosmetics and tires — are everywhere these days, even at the Pic du Midi Observatory, 9,439 feet above sea level in the French Pyrenees. In a new study conducted by […]
It’s no secret that plastic is taking over our planet at a rapid pace. Now, researchers of one study have found that microbes in the oceans and soil all around the world are quickly evolving to digest the plastic. The study authors say these findings show “a measurable effect of plastic pollution on the global […]
The amount of disposable face masks littered in the environment increased by nearly 9,000 percent from March to October 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. That is the finding of a new study published in Nature Sustainability December 9, which used an app to track the emergence of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) pollution during […]
One of the major concerns surrounding plastic pollution is that microplastics may work their way from the ocean or soil, into tiny organisms, up the food chain and onto our plates. However, scientists are still unsure what ingesting microplastics actually does to human health. Now, a first-of-its kind study published in the Journal of Hazardous […]
A lot of the talk surrounding plastic pollution focuses on its impact on marine ecosystems. But there may actually be more microplastic pollution in the soil than in the ocean, according to UN research. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has released a report warning of the “disastrous” impacts of the use of plastics […]
A new study from Rice University has found that microplastic particles may allow bacteria to develop higher resistance to antibiotics. As microplastics are just about everywhere — in your takeout containers, tea bags, and clothing — the research is concerning. With higher antibiotic resistance, bacteria can make it harder for human immune systems to fight […]
The United States is the world’s leader in the generation of plastic waste, nearly all from fossil fuels, and must develop a plan to curb its destructive impacts on the health of oceans and marine wildlife, concludes a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The first recommendation of the committee […]
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