Arctic tundra now emits planet-warming pollution, federal report finds
Arctic tundra, which has stored carbon for thousands of years, has now become a source of planet-warming pollution.
Pick n Pay scraps use of plastic barrier bags at till points
Pick n Pay will do away with plastic barrier bags that separate products like fresh produce and cleaning items at till points.
The world is creating more single-use plastic waste than ever, report finds
The world is producing a record amount of single-use plastic waste, mostly made from polymers created from fossil fuels.
Bacteria Can Use Plastic Waste as a Food Source, Which Isn’t as Good as It Sounds
Plastic pollution is out of control. Each year, more than 8 million tonnes of synthetic polymers enter the ocean, and while some sinks to the floor, returns to the shore, or collects in the middle of nowhere, a significant portion isn’t so easily accounted for.
Bio-based plastics gain consumer favor over fossil fuels
When it comes to enhancing the sustainability of plastic beverage bottles, consumers are willing to pay a bonus for bio-based alternatives—the more so when the alternative is visually distinctive.
Reusable take-out food containers can reduce plastic waste, emissions, costs, study finds
In the effort to reduce plastic waste in the restaurant industry—single-use takeout containers, specifically—University of Michigan researchers compared the lifetime environmental impacts of single-use and reusable food containers.
Bacteria are eating plastic dumped in the sea
A new study by the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) has proven that the widespread bug bacterium Rhodococcus ruber digests plastic.
France to take legal action over ‘nightmare’ plastic pellet spill
The French government is taking legal action over an “environmental nightmare” caused by waves of tiny plastic beads washing up on the coast of Brittany.
Turning food waste into biodegradable bioplastics
Researchers in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech received a $2.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to create bioplastics from food waste diverted from landfills.
Single-use plastic cutlery and plates to be banned in England
‘A plastic fork can take 200 years to decompose’, said environment secretary Thérèse Coffey
Goodbye plastic, hello wood: Tim Hortons unveils new eco-friendly packaging and cutlery
Timmy’s announcement lands the same day the federal ban on the import and manufacture of single-use plastic came into effect.
Could Dissolvable Cranberry Film Replace Plastic Packaging Someday?
The technology to use biodegradable film in place of some plastic or paper packaging is there, say researchers. But first, the industry needs to get on board.
Fishermen Getting Paid to Collect Plastic Trash at Sea, As Indonesia Slashes Pollution
In Indonesia, small-time fishermen are being paid as part-time ocean cleanup crews, as the archipelago seeks to tidy their seas.
Bumblebee population increases 116 times over in ‘remarkable’ Scotland rewilding project
‘The sound of traffic and a uniform sea of barley have been replaced by the most beautiful meadows, full of wildflowers, young saplings and the buzz of bees’
Barbados Completes World’s First ‘Debt-for-Climate’ Swap
Barbados has secured the world’s first “debt-for-climate” swap to finance crucial water and sewage projects that will help the island cope with the destructive impacts of climate change.
Killer whales have found new homes in the Arctic Ocean, potentially reshaping marine ecology
The vast ice sheets that historically kept killer whales out of the Arctic Ocean are melting as the region rapidly warms.
Pollution in Delhi hits record high, cloaking city in smog
India’s capital, Delhi, imposes emergency measures including closing schools and offices and barring heavy vehicles.
Denmark will plant 1 billion trees and convert 10 per cent of farmland into forest
Danish lawmakers on Monday agreed on a deal to plant one billion trees and convert 10 per cent of farmland into forest and natural habitats over the next two decades in an effort to reduce fertilizer usage.