When consumers want plastic, but also worry about the planet
Would the world stop drinking Coca-Cola if it no longer came in single-use plastic bottles?
Environmental policy often has undesirable side effects
“Good intentions” do not generally produce “good results.” This wisdom also applies to establishing coherent environmental policies. Without proper oversight and planning, environmental policies can lead to unintended and harmful side effects.
Microplastics: A macro problem
The amount of plastics accumulating in the environment has exploded since the end of World War II. The sharp exponential increase matches a rise in the rate of plastic production worldwide. Since the 1940s the amount of microscopic plastics has doubled about every 15 years.
More plastic is on the way: What it means for climate change
With the recent fracking boom causing low gas prices, fossil fuel companies are seeking other ways to bolster their profits—by making more plastic. Just as the world is starting to address its enormous plastic pollution problem, these companies are doubling down on plastic, with huge potential consequences for climate and the environment.
Read more
Scientists gather to study risk from microplastic pollution
Tiny bits of broken-down plastic smaller than a fraction of a grain of rice are turning up everywhere in oceans, from the water to the guts of fish and the poop of sea otters and giant killer whales. Yet little is known about the effects of these “microplastics”—on sea creatures or humans.
Microplastics affect the survival of amphibians and invertebrates in river ecosystems
Concern about contamination caused by microplastics is growing; owing to their abundance, ubiquity and persistence over time, microplastics pose a potential risk for organisms and ecosystems. Yet studies into their distribution in freshwater systems in both lakes and rivers and their effects on the organisms in these waters are few and far between, and there is very little information about their potential effect on the functioning of these ecosystems.
Invisible plastics in water
A Washington State University research team has found that nanoscale particles of the most commonly used plastics tend to move through the water supply, especially in fresh water, or settle out in wastewater treatment plants, where they end up as sludge, in landfills, and often as fertilizer.
The New Face of the Plastics Crisis
Newcastle University research has uncovered the presence of plastic in a new species of deep-sea amphipods which has been discovered in one of the deepest places on earth. The researchers officially named the species Eurythenes plasticus in reference to the plastic it has ingested. Before our plastic waste finds its way into the bodies of marine animals, it often undergoes a long journey. Plastic waste exports frequently end up in Southeast Asia, where waste management is often insufficient or non-existent. Because most of the plastic waste cannot be recycled, it will often get burned or dumped at repositories instead. From there it finds its way into rivers and, ultimately, into the ocean. Once in the water, plastic waste breaks apart into micro plastics and spreads through the ocean where it is ingested by marine animals such as E. plasticus.