Scientists may have found a way to make biodegradable plastic from algae, a development that could potentially diminish the harmful effects of microplastics that linger for thousands of years. ABC News reports: https://flip.it/mizbsY #Science#Plastics#Environment
Just got groceries delivery today and I realised just how much soft #plastics packaging are still being used everywhere even for things that don't need it like bread. Soft plastics aren't #recyclable everywhere and most will surely end up in a landfill. How is this OK?
By the age of six, many children already have negative feelings about the word “chemical”.
Ask the average person what a chemical is, and they’re likely to tell you it’s something bad. Products advertise themselves as “chemical-free” – an assertion that makes no scientific sense (since everything in the world is made of chemicals) but resonates with the consumer."
Countries remain divided over whether a plastics treaty should seek to restrict single-use #plastics, ban chemicals that raise health concerns, or limit production of plastics? Plastics production could triple by 2060, making the task more urgent https://buff.ly/3UoYYic#petchem
56 Companies Responsible for Half of Global Plastic Pollution That Researchers Could Trace
A new study on plastic pollution in 84 countries has linked half of branded plastic pollution to only 56 firms, with about 24% of the branded plastic waste analyzed connected to only five companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Danone and Altria.
⚠️ "Half of all plastics ever manufactured were produced in the last two decades, and production continues to rise at an alarming rate, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons in 2015. "
👉 "..the amount of plastics is expected to double by 2050, with irreversible pollution on land, air and waters, including the ocean. "
👉 Russia, Iran, Cuba, Saudi Arabia are holding hostage the U.N. Treaty against plastics
The exponential increase in plastic production from a mere two million tons in 1950 to over 450 million tons annually today represents a dire environmental crisis requiring immediate action.
OK, so people interested in my #MasterRecycling experience - I also got certified as a “Community #Plastics Collector” last week. In our county in Oregon, that means we collect #2 HDPE lids, bottles smaller than a tennis ball, & tubs (& a few other things); #4 LDPE, mostly lids; and #5 PP lids, tubs, etc. (it’s mostly lids and dairy). Those go to Oregon’s Denton Plastics in Portland. They have to be absolutely dry and ABSOLUTELY free of food contamination or mold. (YIKES.) (1/ ? )
New research from CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, and the University of Toronto in Canada, estimates up to 11 million metric tons of plastic pollution is sitting on the ocean floor. The article, "Plastics in the deep sea—A global estimate of the ocean floor reservoir," was published in Deep Sea Research Part I:...
“You don’t want to consider your shoe something you’re going to throw away, and that’s a long-term change. It’s a mental model that needs to change for us to keep building all the products of the future”
“Products should really be made the same way plants grow: Build it so it’s regenerative, it’s circular”
It's absolutely wild that this article on the frightening rise in early onset colorectal cancer doesn't mention the precipitous increase in microplastics and nanoplastics in our bodies as a potential carcinogen. Lifestyle, diet, medications, heavy metals, and PFAS are mentioned, but not microplastics (or pesticides!!).
Ocean floor a 'reservoir' of plastic pollution, study finds (phys.org)
New research from CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, and the University of Toronto in Canada, estimates up to 11 million metric tons of plastic pollution is sitting on the ocean floor. The article, "Plastics in the deep sea—A global estimate of the ocean floor reservoir," was published in Deep Sea Research Part I:...