In continued efforts to clamp down on plastic waste, British lawmakers are planning to ban wet wipes in the UK. Although these “flushable” towelettes are convenient to use, they wreak havoc on the environment. That’s because these sheets can contain non-biodegradable materials such as polyester and polypropylene. “As part of our 25-year environment plan we […]
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 […]
Scientists found record levels of microplastics in Arctic sea ice, a study published Tuesday in Nature Communications revealed. Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) sampled ice from five Arctic Ocean regions and found up to 12,000 microplastic particles per liter (approximately 1.06 liquid quarts) of ice, an […]
By Pamela T. Plotkin On beaches from North Carolina to Texas and throughout the wider Caribbean, one of nature’s great seasonal events is underway. Adult female sea turtles are crawling out of the ocean, digging deep holes in the sand and laying eggs. After about 60 days turtle hatchlings will emerge and head for the […]
Straws suck—literally and figuratively. Americans throw away 500 million of these single-use plastics everyday day, clogging landfills, polluting oceans and causing harm to aquatic creatures. And while reusable straws made of bamboo or metal already exist on the market, the Santa Fe-based team at FinalStraw have invented the world’s first collapsible, reusable straw you can […]
Earth Day 2018 is focused on the all-important theme of reducing plastic litter and pollution. Of course, we shouldn’t just reduce our plastic footprint, we should try to reduce waste in all shapes, sizes and forms. It’s said that the average American generates a staggering 4 pounds of trash every day—but you don’t have to […]
If you want to make a positive change this Earth Day but don’t know where to start, one of best things you can do is take an honest look at your environmental footprint. For instance, how much water are you wasting? How much plastic are you throwing out? How much planet-warming carbon are you producing? […]
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