The Mysterious Ocean Plastic Sink: Gone With the Rivers
Plastics are a growing problem for natural ecosystems around the globe, and in particular for our marine and freshwater environments. Rivers are the leading source…
Plastic
A New Approach for Recycling Plastics
Each human being uses, on average, 30 kg of plastic per year. Given that global life expectancy currently stands at approximately 70 years, each person…
Alternatives to Plastic Straws: Which Materials Are Best?
Drinking straws are single use plastic products which will be subjected to a Europe-wide sales ban from 2021 onwards. This is stated in EU Directive…
Water Coolers Can Release Potentially Harmful Compounds Into Drinking Water
Watercoolers have become a staple in homes, offices and schools, but their tanks and parts are made of materials that could release unwanted or potentially…
New Dye Molecule Constructed for Visualizing Stress in Plastics
Research team led by Chemnitz University of Technology develops dyes that continuously translate stress plastics by changing color. A research team led by Prof. Dr….
Keeping an Eye on Ocean Plastic Pollution…From Space! [Video]
Meet bag, bottle, and straw, three bits of plastic left on the beach. They are only small, but they are heading into the ocean, where…
Combating Maritime Litter: Innovative Solutions for Fighting Pollution in the Oceans
Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon categorizes innovative solutions for fighting pollution in the oceans. Marine litter is among the most urgent global pollution issues. Marine scientist Nikoleta Bellou…
Solving the Plastic Shortage With an Efficient New Chemical Catalyst
In a year that has already battered manufacturing supply chains, yet another shortage is complicating manufacturers’ and consumers’ lives: plastics, and the food packaging, automotive…
Plastic Planet: Tracking Pervasive Microplastics Through the Atmosphere and Across the Globe
Really big systems, like ocean currents and weather, work on really big scales. And so too does your plastic waste, according to new research from…
AI-Powered Recycling Robot Could Help Solve Plastic Waste Crisis
Researchers create robot that sorts soft plastic Technology could be a boon for recycling industry Engineering researchers are developing a unique method to increase the…
Global Plastic Pollution May Be Nearing an Irreversible Tipping Point
Current rates of plastic emissions globally may trigger effects that we will not be able to reverse, argues a new study by researchers from Sweden,…
Turning Plastic Into Foam to Combat Pollution: New Method to Reuse Previously Nonrecyclable Plastic
Researchers develop a method to reuse previously nonrecyclable plastic. Biodegradable plastics are supposed to be good for the environment. But because they are specifically made…
NASA Satellite Lets Scientists Track Ocean Microplastics From Space
Scientists from the University of Michigan have developed an innovative way to use NASA satellite data to track the movement of tiny pieces of plastic…
Microbes in Cow Stomachs Can Break Down Plastic – Sustainable Way to Reduce Plastic Litter
Bacteria found in the rumen, one of the compartments that make up the cow stomach, can break down plastics, representing an eco-friendly way to reduce…
Worrying New Insights Into the Chemicals in Plastics – Significant Risk to People and the Environment
Plastic is practical, cheap and incredibly popular. Every year, more than 350 million metric tons are produced worldwide. These plastics contain a huge variety of…
Tracking Ocean Microplastics From Space – See the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Like Never Before
Satellites reveal ocean microplastic fluctuation in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and releases from the Yangtze River in China. An estimated eight million tons of…
Biologists Raise Alarm: Brain Damage Caused by Even Small Amounts of Plasticizers
The plasticizers contained in many everyday objects can impair important brain functions in humans. Biologists from the University of Bayreuth warn of this danger in…
Seabird Eggs Contaminated With Chemical Cocktail of Plastic Additives
Chemical additives used in plastic production have been found in herring gull eggs, new research shows. Phthalates are a group of chemicals added to plastics…