plastics

Industrial Fire Ignites Plastics, Prompts Evacuations in Indiana

Industrial Fire Ignites Plastics, Prompts Evacuations in Indiana

A large industrial fire that ignited stored plastics at a the site of a former factory in Richmond, Indiana has led thousands of local residents to be evacuated. The flames are still burning, but under control, and authorities hope to have all flames put out by Saturday. Those living within 0.5 miles of the plant […]

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    Plastic Consumption Could Nearly Double by 2050 Without Ambitious UN Treaty

    Plastic Consumption Could Nearly Double by 2050 Without Ambitious UN Treaty

    Negotiators working on a legally binding United Nations treaty to end plastic pollution will need to be as ambitious as possible with the final document.  That’s the main takeaway from a new report from Back to Blue — a collaboration between Economist Impact and the Nippon Foundation — released Monday. The report modeled what would […]

    Forever Chemicals Contaminate More than 17,000 Sites in Europe and UK, New Map Reveals

    Forever Chemicals Contaminate More than 17,000 Sites in Europe and UK, New Map Reveals

    There are more than 17,000 sites across Europe that have been contaminated with toxic forever chemicals and another more than 21,000 sites that have likely been polluted. That’s one main finding from “The Forever Pollution Project,” a month’s-long collaboration between 18 European newsrooms to investigate and map the extent of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pollution across […]

    Scientists Create Biodegradable Plastic Using Solar Energy

    Scientists Create Biodegradable Plastic Using Solar Energy

    Scientists from Osaka Metropolitan University have found a way to synthesize fumaric acid, a raw material using for producing the biodegradable plastic polybutylene succinate, using artificial photosynthesis. The plastic, typically made from petroleum, was synthesized from carbon dioxide, biomass-derived compounds, and solar energy. The study, published in the journal Sustainable Energy & Fuels, documents the […]

    No. 5 Plastic May Soon Be No. 1 in Recycling

    No. 5 Plastic May Soon Be No. 1 in Recycling

    If you are at a sports stadium, you might notice a new logo on recycling bins: that of PureCycle.  PureCycle is a U.S.-based company seeking to turn plastic waste into an infinitely recyclable material. Over the last year, the company has partnered with stadiums in Orlando, Cincinnati and Jacksonville on a pilot project to capture […]

    PFAS 101: Everything You Need to Know About ‘Forever Chemicals’

    PFAS 101: Everything You Need to Know About ‘Forever Chemicals’

    You may have heard them by many names: forever chemicals, PFAS, toxins … they all fall under the technical terms per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Called PFAS for short, these chemicals have earned the nickname forever chemicals because they are long-lasting, taking incredibly long times to break down. In the environment, like in soil or water, PFAS may never fully break down.