plastic

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Surprising Species Are Finding Home in Pacific Garbage Patch

Coastal creatures are thriving far from their native homes, with unknown consequences

(Newser) - Communities of coastal creatures are thriving far from home in the swirling trash soup that is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch . Researchers have found dozens of creatures normally found near coasts—including crustaceans, sea anemones, mollusks, and worms—surviving and reproducing on plastic waste in the huge patch between Hawaii...

'Plastic Rocks' Found in New, Far-Flung Places

Plastiglomerates are a 'terrifying' signal of humans' impact on the planet: researcher

(Newser) - Humans have made their mark on the geological record with plastiglomerates—"rocks" formed from a mix of natural debris and plastic, fused together with heat. These rocks were first described in Hawaii almost a decade ago, but they've been seen in far-flung places since then, including a remote...

We&#39;ve Given Seabirds a New Disease
We've Given Seabirds
a New Disease
new study
Mar 3, 2023 1:07 PM CST

We've Given Seabirds a New Disease

'Plasticosis' is doing serious damage to digestive tracts

(Newser) - Scientists who examined dozens of dead fledgling seabirds have identified a new disease caused by plastic pollution. In a study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials , researchers describe "plasticosis" as a "novel, plastic-induced fibrotic disease." Researchers say the disease is caused by ingestion of small pieces...

This Whale Sucks In an Astounding Amount of Microplastics

Blue whales, as well as other baleens, are ingesting millions of the tiny particles daily

(Newser) - Baleen whales —which include blue whales and humpbacks—are a type of whale that uses special filters instead of teeth to collect and eat small prey like krill and fish. Now, in a research first, scientists examining the consumption habits of these marine mammals have found they're...

Plastic Recycling Is a Farce
Plastic Recycling
Is a Fool's Errand
new report
Oct 25, 2022 3:17 PM CDT

Plastic Recycling Is a Fool's Errand

Greenpeace report says the problem is most plastic just can't be recycled

(Newser) - "Plastic recycling is a dead-end street." So proclaims a new Greenpeace report that makes that very case using an underwhelming set of stats regarding the scant amount of plastic that's recycled in the US. Per the report, at our peak in 2014, America recycled 9.5% of...

Caterpillar Saliva Could Be Potent Weapon in Plastic Fight

Researchers envision at-home degradation kits using enzymes found in wax worm drool

(Newser) - Five years after wax worms were found to consume the world's most commonly produced plastic, scientists have lost none of their optimism in touting the caterpillar larvae of wax moths as a potential solution to our growing problem of plastic waste. Indeed, new research finds the larvae's saliva...

Say Goodbye to Sprite's Green Bottles

Coca-Cola says it's switching to clear plastic to boost recycling efforts

(Newser) - Sprite's green plastic bottles will soon be a thing of the past. Coca-Cola says it's changing the packaging of Sprite and other beverages, including Fresca, to clear plastic so it can step up recycling, CNN reports. The green polyethylene terephthalate—PET—currently used in Sprite bottles can be...

Country of 1.4B Bans 19 Single-Use Plastic Items

India ban includes straws, cups

(Newser) - India banned some single-use or disposable plastic products Friday as part of a federal plan to phase out the ubiquitous material in the nation of nearly 1.4 billion people. For the first stage, it has identified 19 plastic items that aren't very useful but have a high potential...

Plastic Water Bottles to Be Phased Out on Federal Lands

Decision flips a Trump-era policy

(Newser) - The Interior Department said Wednesday it will phase out sales of plastic water bottles and other single-use products at national parks and on other public lands over the next decade, targeting a major source of US pollution. An order issued by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland calls for the department to...

Plastic Recycling Is a Hoax
Plastic Recycling Is a Hoax
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
May 14, 2022 6:30 AM CDT

Plastic Recycling Is a Hoax

Environmental groups say the plastics industry has been lying all along

(Newser) - Last year, Americans recycled at most 6% of their plastic waste, according to a report released Wednesday by a pair of environmental groups. It's a number that's even worse than it used to be. Every American produced an average 218 pounds of plastic waste in 2018, per Reuters,...

Plastic in Landfill Is Killing Elephants

Post-mortems showed no signs of a normal diet

(Newser) - Conservationists and veterinarians are warning that plastic waste in an open landfill in eastern Sri Lanka is killing elephants in the region, after two more were found dead over the weekend. Around 20 elephants have died in the past eight years after consuming plastic trash in the dump in Pallakkadu...

Blame for World's Plastic 'Deluge' Lands Squarely on US

We're the biggest contributor to the waste problem, per new NAS analysis commissioned by Congress

(Newser) - There's a "deluge" of plastic mucking up the Earth's oceans, with the United States serving as the biggest contributor to it. That's according to a new National Academy of Sciences report ordered by Congress that's imploring the US to come up with a plan to...

LA Diners Must Now Ask for Plastic Utensils

Though enforcement won't start until January

(Newser) - Customers at Los Angeles restaurants will only get plastic utensils and napkins if they ask for them, under a new ordinance taking effect Monday that aims to reduce waste, the AP reports. The rule requires all restaurants with more than 26 employees to remove all single-use plastic utensil dispensers, the...

Competition for Empty Plastic Bottles Is Heating Up

Recycled PET now costs more than virgin plastic

(Newser) - Companies in the US and worldwide are facing a major shortage of something that often ends up in the trash: empty plastic bottles. With governments including those of California and Washington state introducing mandatory recycled content quotas for some items and major companies bringing in voluntary targets, producers are having...

McDonald's Is Phasing Out Plastic Toys in Happy Meals

Company wants to 'drastically' reduce use of plastic by 2025

(Newser) - McDonald’s plans to "drastically” reduce the plastic in its Happy Meal toys worldwide by 2025. The burger giant said Tuesday it’s working with toy companies to develop new ideas, such as three-dimensional cardboard superheroes kids can build or board games with plant-based or recycled game pieces, the...

Here&#39;s the Tastiest Suggestion Yet on Plastic Waste
Here's the Tastiest Suggestion
Yet on Plastic Waste
new study
Jun 15, 2021 12:21 PM CDT

Here's the Tastiest Suggestion Yet on Plastic Waste

Researchers convert it into vanilla flavoring

(Newser) - Plastic waste is a problem . A big , big problem. Seemingly unrelated fact: Lots of people love vanilla. Scientists at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have managed to combine these two ideas to come up with one of the most novel suggestions yet for reducing plastic garbage. They figured out...

Report Identifies Biggest Contributors to Plastic Problem

Al Gore joins foundation's warnings about dangers to climate and health

(Newser) - More than half of all the single-use plastic waste in the world is generated by just 20 companies, an analysis has found. And tops on the list of 20 is ExxonMobil, which is responsible for 5.9% of the total, the Guardian reports, followed by Dow at 5.6%. The...

US Marine Animals Are Drowning in Plastic—Literally

Report mentions 1.8K cases of animals consuming or being entangled in plastic since 2009

(Newser) - Plastic pollution is taking a disastrous toll on marine animals in the US, particularly those threatened with extinction, according to a new report . It tells of 1,792 cases in which 40 different species of animals consumed or were entangled in plastic since 2009. Of those, 88% involved animals that...

&#39;Pac-Men&#39; Enzymes May Help Solve a Major Problem
Lab Breakthrough May Help
Fight on Plastic Waste
new study
Sep 29, 2020 12:00 PM CDT

Lab Breakthrough May Help Fight on Plastic Waste

'Pac-Men' enzymes engineered to feast on plastic

(Newser) - Plastic waste is a large and ever-growing problem around the world. Now, researchers say they're closing in on a potentially game-changing solution that could be commercially available in a year or two, reports the Guardian . Scientists have engineered a "super-enzyme" that breaks down plastic six times faster than...

Spirits Industry First: a Paper Bottle

Diageo announces Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky will have plastic-free packaging starting next spring

(Newser) - Tired: drinking out of a paper bag. Wired: drinking out of a paper bottle. Starting next year, you'll be able to do the latter, thanks to a spirits industry first. Reuters reports that Diageo—maker of such brands as Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, and Smirnoff, among others—has teamed up...

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