Oops! Scientists May Be Contaminating Their Own Samples With Microplastics
More than 70% of microplastics found in samples from oceans and rivers could come from the scientists collecting them. Are scientists contaminating their own samples?…
Plastic News
Unexpectedly High Levels of Hazardous Chemicals Found in Nail Salons
First assessment of chemical exposures among nail salon technicians in Canada found unexpectedly high exposures to several chemicals used as plasticizers and flame retardants. A…
Turning Trash Into Treasure: Chemists’ Radical Way To Make It Easier, More Profitable To Recycle Plastic
By modifying carbon-hydrogen bonds, chemists at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill transform plastic trash into tougher, stronger material. The United States generates more…
Plastic Snowfall in the Alps – Nanoplastics Permeate the Environment
In a new study, Empa researcher Dominik Brunner, together with colleagues from Utrecht University and the Austrian Central Institute for Meteorology and Geophysics, is investigating…
Sustainable Materials: Creating Valuable Plastics and Chemicals From Waste
University of Delaware researchers report low-pressure method to convert industrially processed biomass into plastics, chemicals. It’s no secret that we need more sustainable materials if…
Warning: Chemicals in Plastic Consumer Products May Contribute to Weight Gain
Plastic consumer products contain chemicals that may promote the development of overweight and obesity. It may sound strange, but chemicals in plastic may make the…
Earth’s Safe Planetary Boundary for Pollutants – Including Plastics – Exceeded
First assessment published of planetary boundary related to “novel entities.” For the first time, an international team of researchers has assessed the impact on the…
People With Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Have More Microplastics in Their Feces
Microplastics — tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in length – are everywhere, from bottled water to food to air. According to recent…
Transforming the Plastic Lifecycle Into a Circle
360 million metric tonnes of new plastic was produced in 2018. Here’s where it all went, and why the world must transform plastic use from…
How Is It Raining Plastic?! [Video]
Every year, more than 1,000 tons of plastic rain down onto national parks and wilderness areas in the western U.S. In this week’s episode, we…
Sustainable, Biodegradable, Vegan Glitter That’s Just As Sparkly – From Your Fruit Bowl
Glitter is the bane of every parent and primary school teacher. But beyond its general annoyance factor, it’s also made of toxic and unsustainable materials,…
Plants From Plastics: Transforming Bio-Based Polymers Into Fertilizer
Plastics have taken the world by storm over the last century, finding applications in virtually every aspect of our lives. However, the rise of these…
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…
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…