Plastic Pollution

This article is from The Checkup, MIT Technology Review's weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, sign up here. Microplastics are pretty much everywhere you look. These tiny pieces of plastic pollution, less than five millimeters across, have been found in human blood, breast milk, and…

COUNTRIES grappling with the "immense" task of ending plastic pollution began a new round of talks in Paris on Monday, amid protests and warnings of the urgency to act. Representatives of 175 nations with divergent ambitions met at the Unesco headquarters with the aim of making progress toward reaching by…

Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Over 100 million tons of plastic enters the environment each year, with more than 10 million tons ending up in our oceans. These plastics break down into harmful microplastic particles so small they can be…

Environmental NGO Delterra has announced it has joined forces with global businesses Amcor, Mars and Procter and Gamble (P&G) to commit $6 million over the next five years to tackle plastic pollution in the Global South and develop solutions for a circular plastics economy. The new partners announced this week…

Waste collectors looking for plastic and glass to recycle in Pazundaung Creek, Yangon - Copyright AFP/File Sai Aung MAIN Benjamin LEGENDRE, Kelly MACNAMARA Negotiations on a global treaty to combat plastic pollution will resume Monday, with nations under pressure to stem the tide of trash amid calls from campaigners to…

Plastic pollution could be slashed by 80% in next 17 years. Photo: Laura Lezza/Getty Images This can be done by 2040 if there are changes in the market, a United Nations report has found Read More

Sustainable packaging innovator Xampla, a University of Cambridge spin-out, was this year named one of the world’s most promising global cleantech companies in the annual Cleantech 100 rankings. Describing itself as an expert in ‘drop-in, high-performance natural materials’, it is working with global brands to deliver breakthrough new product developments…

UN aims to reduce plastic pollution by 80% by 2040. —AFPA recent report from the United Nations Environment Programme suggests that countries have the potential to decrease plastic pollution by 80% within the next two decades. Plastic pollution poses a global problem, impacting various environments, including the Arctic, oceans, and…

We explore how Gen Z will impact the Indonesian market and look at a Vietnamese startup that’s tackling plastic pollution...Read More

Speed Reads Cold-weather microorganisms could offer more sustainable and cheaper way to combat pollution Scientists have discovered microbes in the Arctic and Alps that can digest certain biodegradable plastics at much lower temperatures than previously thought, which could offer a more environmentally friendly way to combat plastic pollution. A team…