This Caddisfly Discovered Microplastics in 1971—and We Just Noticed
Decades before microplastics made headlines, a caddisfly larva was already incorporating synthetic debris into its home.
Tag: plastic
Birds are building nests out of decades-old plastic trash and it’s a record of the Anthropocene
Eurasian coots are unknowingly creating plastic archives of the Anthropocene.
This study shows why you should never eat from a plastic container
Leached microplastics from hot plastic containers may disrupt your gut microbiome.
Scientists make ‘living plastic’ with bacterial spores that could put an end to forever plastic pollution
The bacterial spores are incorporated into the bulk plastic. Interestingly, this plastic is more durable and flexible, mirroring the way ...
Over 90% of polar birds have microplastics inside them
We knew microplastic pollution was a problem, but it's a bigger problem than we thought.
The essential read on plastics — a material that changed the world
We need to talk about plastic — and this is an excellent starting point.
We’re all drinking plastic. Shocking study finds a single bottle of water contains over 240,000 plastic fragments
Water bottles are filled with thousands of tiny plastic particles.
Cigarette butts cost the world $26 billion per year in environmental damage
Researchers call to ban the sale of plastic cigarette filters
Scientists finally find a way to recycle plastic indefinitely
Most plastic products can't be recycled back into their original form. It's time to change that.
Most compostable plastic isn’t actually compostable — it just stays in the soil
Compostable plastic might not be the ideal solution to plastic waste
Tidying up: New plastic material is biodegradable both in the ocean and on dry land
This brings us one step closer to an Earth without plastic pollution.
The story of how plastic was invented, and how it’s turned into a big problem
Plastic was not invented by a supervillain, but unfortunately now we are turning plastic into an evil force that can ...
How microplastics harm us: they help viruses survive longer and travel farther
Microplastics are everywhere, and we're only starting to discover the problems they cause.
India bans some single-use plastic products to tackle pollution — but leaves many on the table
There’s still a long way to go, but it’s a first step in the nation of almost 1.4 billion people
Why does bottled water have an expiration date?
It might seem pointless, but it’s not the water that spoils.
Fast-acting enzyme can break down plastic in as little as 24 hours
The researchers said the new enzyme has the potential to “supercharge” recycling on a large scale.
‘There’s too much plastic on Earth’, a new study warns
Limiting production seems to be the practical solution, the authors say.
Your food may soon come wrapped in self-cleaning, biodegradable plastic inspired by the lotus
The material was inspired by the lotus leaf.
Snowfall in the Alps is full of plastics particles
This study says plastic pollution in the air is way worse than we imagined.
Startup turns non-recyclable plastic into building blocks
It's challenging the notion of what non-recyclable plastic even means in the first place -- and we like it a ...
France bans plastic wrapping for most fruits and vegetables
There are some exceptions but for in general, all plastic will be gradually phased out.
Wild microorganisms are evolving to eat plastic pollution
We've put so much plastic pollution out there that bacteria are trying to eat it.
Could we use plastic to end the ocean’s plastic problem? A new paper says: “Yes!”
I really like this idea.
Cows could help us in the plastic crisis — with the bacteria in their guts
Cows giveth, cows taketh away.
We can now track ocean microplastics from space, by looking at how winds and water interact
Our technique is not perfect yet but we’re working on it.
Plastic-eating bacteria turns waste into vanilla flavoring
A tasty solution to our plastic waste problem.
A cost-effective way to recycle plastic could be commercially available in ‘5 to 10 years’
Not a decade too soon.
Cheap plastics could soon be turned into sustainable fabrics
We need as many ways to get rid of plastic as possible.
Mangroves are particularly at risk from plastic pollution from rivers, study finds
Plastics are everywhere, but not every ecosystem is affected the same way.
Archaeologists just found a lot of plastic at an archaeological site
More than 2,300 pieces of plastic were found in a digging site in Wales.
Mexico City kicks off the new year with a ban on single-use plastics
From forks to coffee capsules, the Latin American city takes a big step
These are the companies that produce the most plastic
A lot of familiar names on this list.
How plastic particles move through the soils. “It’s all cyclical”
This could help tackle plastic waste, a serious environmental problem
Americans are responsible for much more plastic waste than previously thought
The US produces the most plastic waste in total and per capita, a new study found.
The Mediterranean Sea is packed with plastic waste and it could get worse soon
We need to take action to protect the Mediterranean from plastic waste.
Up to 14 million tons of microplastics believed to be on the seafloor
We urgently need to cut down on the use of plastics -- for the ocean.
Scientists create an enzyme that breaks down plastic much faster than before
To say that plastic is a big problem is an understatement. Every corner of the Earth has been tainted with ...
Newly-discovered enzyme cocktail paves the way towards infinitely recyclable plastic
Less trash and cheaper stuff? Sign me up.
Fall in plastic demand could be disastrous for oil companies
Reducing plastic pollution would be great for the environment, bad for oil companies.
Ocean plastic pollution is much worse than we thought and ends back in our plates
The extent of plastic pollution in our ocean is stunning.
Study finds plastic particles in human organs, raising health concerns
Plastics are everywhere, even in you.
Clean-up technology alone can’t keep the ocean free of plastics
We need to deal with plastic waste, and clean-up technology alone won't cut it.
A common crustacean can break microplastics in just four days
It's much faster than previously thought and highly concerning
Shops in Japan begin charging fees for plastic shopping bags
There's still a long way to go for the country to tackle its plastic problems
Avoiding single-use plastic was becoming normal, until coronavirus. Here’s how we can return to good habits
The pandemic is not a green light for pollution.
Reusable containers are still safe to use during the pandemic, experts agree
Coronavirus spreads mainly through droplets rather than contact with surfaces.
Nanoplastics can contaminate plants, making them smaller, shorter
Plastic waste could impact our crops.
Tons of microplastics are raining down on US national parks
It's raining plastic, literally.
Coronavirus is creating a new plastic crisis as masks and gloves end up in the ocean
It's a new twist to an old problem, as 8 million tons of plastic waste already end in the ocean ...
Microplastics litter the entire planet — down to the depths of the ocean
Researchers found the highest concentration ever
