plastic

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Australia's 'Last Unspoilt Paradise' Is Anything But

Researchers find 414M pieces of plastic debris on remote islands

(Newser) - Study after study has illustrated the insane amount of plastic clogging up our planet. But a new one focusing on Australia's Cocos Islands suggests we still may have greatly underestimated the problem. Researchers surveyed 88% of the total landmass of the remote islands considered "Australia's last...

Deepest Dive Ever Makes Sad Discovery
At 35K Feet, Divers
Make Grim Discovery
in case you missed it
May 18, 2019 12:35 PM CDT

At 35K Feet, Divers Make Grim Discovery

But explorer Victor Vescovo also makes history

(Newser) - Those candy wrappers you threw out? The deepest deep-sea dive ever may have just found them, the BBC reports. American explorer Victor Vescovo journeyed down a record 35,853 feet in the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench on May 1 and stumbled on two signs of human presence on Earth—...

Scientists: We've Found the 'Holy Grail' of Recycling

New material may lead to plastic that's easily recyclable

(Newser) - The "Holy Grail" of recycling may finally be here. Scientists at Berkeley Lab say they've found a new way to create plastics that are 100% recyclable, meaning they can be used, recycled, and re-used without losing value, Fox News reports. "Most plastics were never made to be...

Every Shrimp Tested Had Traces of Cocaine
Study of Shrimp Has
an Unwelcome Surprise
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
May 5, 2019 1:45 PM CDT

Study of Shrimp Has an Unwelcome Surprise

Every one tested in UK study had traces of cocaine

(Newser) - How's this for an unwelcome surprise in a study of freshwater shrimp: Every one tested in a study of 15 different sites in Britain's rural Suffolk County had traces of cocaine, reports the Guardian . Oh, and traces of the drug ketamine were widespread. Also showing up: a long-banned...

Hawaii Moves to Ban Restaurant Plastic

'Our state can once again take the lead in protecting our environment'

(Newser) - Hawaii would be the first state in the US to ban most plastics at restaurants under legislation that aims to cut down on waste that pollutes the ocean. Dozens of cities across the country have banned plastic foam containers, but Hawaii's measure would make it the first to do...

Philippines Horror: 'Most Plastic We Have Ever Seen in a Whale'

88 pounds of plastic found in dead whale that washed up on beach

(Newser) - A dead whale washed up on a Philippine beach was distressing enough, but museum workers have deemed what they found inside the creature's gut "disgusting." The BBC reports that the Cuvier's beaked whale turned up on the shoreline east of Davao City on Saturday, and when...

&#39;It&rsquo;s Everywhere&#39;: Plastic Found in Deepest Oceans
'We're Piling Our Crap'
in the Ocean's Depths
NEW STUDY
Feb 27, 2019 10:30 AM CST

'We're Piling Our Crap' in the Ocean's Depths

Shrimp in the deepest ocean trenches found to be contaminated by plastic

(Newser) - With more than 300 million tons of plastics produced each year, it's perhaps no surprise that some has made its way to the bottom of the world’s oceans. New deep-sea research published in the Royal Society Open Science journal has pulled up fragments of plastics in the deepest...

'People Would Be Outraged' by Teen's Find Off Calif. Coast

Alex Weber has pulled out more than 50K golf balls over the last two years

(Newser) - Two years ago, a central California teen began what NPR calls a "Sisyphean task"—hauling hundreds of pounds of golf balls off the ocean floor, only to have them reenter the sea as golfers from five nearby golf courses (including Pebble Beach) hit them right back in. Alex...

Swimmer Ends 'Very Disturbing' Journey

Benoit Lecomte has a message for the world

(Newser) - A swimmer's record-breaking effort may be on hold, but his warning endures: There's way too much plastic out there. Benoît "Ben" Lecomte set foot on Oahu, Hawaii on Monday, conclusively ending his dream of being the first swimmer to cross the Pacific Ocean, per CNN . A...

In Dead Whale's Belly, a Horrifying Collection of Plastic

Sperm whale found in Indonesia, world's No. 2 plastics polluter

(Newser) - A dead whale that washed ashore in eastern Indonesia had a large lump of plastic waste in its stomach, including drinking cups and flip-flops, reports the AP . The discovery caused concern among environmentalists and government officials in one of the world's largest plastic-polluting countries. Rescuers from Wakatobi National Park...

'First Evidence for Microplastics Inside Humans' Emerges

Plastic found in stool samples from people in 8 countries

(Newser) - It was only a matter of time. Scientists, following up research showing tiny particles of plastic in everything from bottled water to salt , say they've found "the first evidence for microplastics inside humans." All stool samples taken from eight participants of a small study by Environment Agency...

When You Sprinkle Salt, You're Getting More Than Salt

Microplastics infiltrate 90% of it, especially the stuff from Asia, say researchers

(Newser) - Just like with bottled water , over 90% of the world's table salt contains microplastics—enough that the average human ingests 2,000 pieces each year from salt alone, according to new research. It's been known for years that microplastics are present in salt, per Quartz , but the surprise...

Big Change Coming to Kroger, and It's Starting in Seattle

Supermarket chain to get rid of all plastic bags by 2025

(Newser) - The nation's largest grocery chain will be free of plastic bags at all of its nearly 2,800 stores by 2025. Kroger Co., which orders about 6 billion bags each year, will begin phasing out their use immediately at one of its chains based in Seattle, a city that'...

Starbucks Dumps Plastic Straws
Starbucks Dumps Plastic Straws
Jul 9, 2018 7:40 AM CDT

Starbucks Dumps Plastic Straws

It's the first big food company to do so in the US

(Newser) - Starbucks will eliminate plastic straws from all of its locations within two years, citing the environmental threat to oceans. The company becomes the largest food and beverage company to do so as calls to cut waste globally grow louder, per the AP . Plastic straws have become a flashpoint. A week...

Plastic Straws on Their Way Out at McDonald's

UK, Ireland locations will switch to paper straws; other countries like US to do test runs

(Newser) - "A move on straws" is afoot across the pond, and McDonald's is driving the push. The fast-food chain is nixing plastic straws and moving to paper in all of its Ireland and United Kingdom restaurants in what the UK's environment secretary calls a "significant contribution" to...

Ban Proposed on Plastics You Use Every Day

The EU proposed a ban that would include plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds

(Newser) - The European Union has proposed banning plastic products like cotton buds, straws, stirs and balloon sticks when alternatives are easily available in an attempt to reduce litter spoiling beaches and ocean beds, per the AP . The European Commission said its proposal would seek to cut marine litter in half for...

Our Plastic Problem Is Likely Worse Than You Think
Solution to Plastic Pollution
Isn't a 'Sexy' One
longform
May 17, 2018 10:00 AM CDT

Solution to Plastic Pollution Isn't a 'Sexy' One

'We need to just collect the trash,' says one resource economist

(Newser) - You want big picture? National Geographic provides it on the issue of plastic choking the world's waterways. Invented in the late 19th century, plastic didn't truly take off in terms of production until around 1950, when scientists began making it out of petroleum in earnest. Now, we have...

In One of Planet&#39;s Most Remote Spots, a Plastic Bag
Plastic Bag Found in
Truly Depressing Spot
new study
May 15, 2018 10:45 AM CDT

Plastic Bag Found in Truly Depressing Spot

Not even the bottom of the Mariana Trench is safe from our trash

(Newser) - "Single-use plastic reached the world's deepest ocean trench at 10,898 m," states the study plainly, referring to that great scourge: the plastic bag. National Geographic reports that a review of the Deep-Sea Debris Database, an assemblage of photos and videos taken during roughly 5,000 dives...

Mutant Enzyme Munches Plastic
Mutant Enzyme 
Munches Plastic
Apr 17, 2018 5:52 AM CDT

Mutant Enzyme Munches Plastic

This could massively reduce waste, scientists say

(Newser) - Some rare good news in the fight against plastic pollution: Scientists working with a plastic-eating microbe discovered in Japan two years ago accidentally created a mutant enzyme that sounds like an environmentalist's dream, the Guardian reports. The enzyme breaks down the PET—polyethylene terephthalate—used in plastic bottles even...

Study Shows Depressing Scope of Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Mass of floating garbage is 'increasing exponentially'

(Newser) - Already the largest floating trash island in the world, researchers have found the mass of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is "increasing exponentially," the Washington Post reports. “I’ve been doing this research for a while, but it was depressing to see,” the Guardian quotes...

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