By Elizabeth Claire Alberts There are trillions of microplastics in the ocean — they bob on the surface, float through the water column, and accumulate in clusters on the seafloor. With plastic being so ubiquitous, it’s inevitable that marine organisms, such as sharks, will ingest them. A new study in Scientific Reports investigated microplastic ingestion […]
By Jeannette Cwienk When it comes to recycling and recyclability, very little, it seems is straightforward — even something as seemingly simple as orange juice can present a conundrum. In Germany, many smaller shops sell drinks in cartons or plastic bottles, both of which will end up in the yellow recycling bin. But how do […]
Tierra del Fuego is at the southernmost tip of South America and is sometimes known as the “end of the world.” This windswept part of Argentina is home to seven penguin colonies which breed, nest and feed in the area. Yet even here, the evidence of human encroachment on nature is clear. Plastic waste from […]
By Brigitte Osterath Yogurt pots, shampoo bottles, coffee-to-go lids, bubble wrap — plastic products are all composed of the same building blocks: long carbon chains. Heating them to high temperatures makes the carbon chains crack into a mixture of shorter molecules, ultimately converting them back into crude oil, the resource from which the majority of […]
When beaches in Florida reopened last week, people flocked to them to absorb the sun, sand and water. Unfortunately, many forgot to take their trash with them when they left. While pollution and emissions have precipitously dropped worldwide, Cocoa Beach saw a huge spike in garbage as cleanup crews collected more than 13,000 pounds strewn […]
By Stuart Braun 1.3 billion plastic bottles are sold daily around the world. And that’s just the tip of the fossil-based plastic iceberg. Plastic preserves our food. It’s in the nylon and polyester we wear, and it protects medical staff from the coronavirus. Petroleum-based plastics dominate the market because they’re durable, light-weight and cheap, but […]
By Daiane Scaraboto, Alison M Joubert and Claudia Gonzalez-Arcos In eight years, US environmentalist and social media star Lauren Singer had never sent an item of rubbish to landfill. But last month, in an impassioned post to her 383,000 Instagram followers, she admitted the reality of COVID-19 has changed that. I sacrificed my values and […]
The plastics industry is asking the federal government for a $1 billion bailout to help recycling during the pandemic. A coalition of industry interests, including chemical and oil and gas companies that make plastics, sent a letter to Congress this month calling recycling an “essential service” and doubling their original ask of 0 million for […]
By Nikolia Apostolou Over a month into the lockdown and the usually bustling streets of Kalamata, a Greek city southwest of Athens traditionally known for its olives, are largely empty. As in the rest of Greece, residents of the coastal city are allowed out only in strict circumstances, including for short exercise and grocery shopping. […]