Plastic Pollution

A freshwater lake in Norway, one of 29 European lakes that were part of the study. Credit: Samuel Woodman A study of 29 European lakes has found that some naturally-occurring lake bacteria grow faster and more efficiently on the remains of plastic bags than on natural matter like leaves and…

Plastic pollution is causing irreparable damage to ecosystems, affecting human health, and contributing to the climate crisis. However, due to how ingrained plastics, especially single-use plastics, are into our economic activities, phasing them out will be an arduous challenge. This is evident as the bill creating a national policy that…

This story was published in partnership with InvestigateWest. On an overcast Saturday in Seattle, a group of volunteers combs a small section of the beach at Golden Gardens Park for trash. With 5-gallon buckets in hand, they slowly fan out and search a roughly rectangular zone marked by cones, passing…

Read this in The Manila Times digital edition. IN THE BAG A woman totes a reusable bag as she buys vegetables at a public market on Sunday, July 3, 2022. Ban Toxics group encouraged shoppers and vendors to abandon single use plastic bags and choose eco-friendly alternatives. PHOTO BY MIKE…

They called the sea lion Blonde Bomber. As Adam Ratner shared the plucky marine mammal's story with Salon, his voice welled up with affection. Blonde Bomber's story is just one among many in which a pinniped has nearly lost its life to plastic pollution, but it was clear that Blonde…

California lawmakers declared a momentous victory against plastic pollution on Thursday when Governor Gavin Newsom approved a far-reaching bill to reduce plastic production, signing it into law just hours before a looming deadline. The Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act, widely considered the “strongest” plastic reduction policy in the nation, requires…

Credit: CC0 Public Domain They're in our oceans and rivers. They're in the food we eat and the water we drink. They've even been detected inside the human body. They're called microplastics—particles of plastic so small they can't be seen by the naked eye. While researchers have known for years…

They're in our oceans and rivers. They're in the food we eat and the water we drink. They've even been detected inside the human body. They're called microplastics -- particles of plastic so small they can't be seen by the naked eye. While researchers have known for years that these…

Publishing date: Jun 23, 2022  •  June 23, 2022  •  3 minute read  •  50 Comments Disposable single-use plastics such as bottles, cups, forks, spoons and drinking straws. Photo by photka / iStock /Getty Images While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau forges ahead with his plan to eliminate single-use plastics from…

Microplastic pollution is usually associated with the ocean where it's been widely studied, but new research shows those tiny particles can be found in the air as well, even in the Yukon.  A team of researchers at Yukon University have been monitoring the amount of microplastics being deposited from the…