Photo by Peter Domorak
There’s a lot going on in the environment these days, especially with regard to plastic pollution. To help you stay in the loop, here are some of the highlights that we came across this week:
Last week, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation released a new report that shows the global progress on eliminating plastic pollution. The report “provides transparency on how almost 200 businesses and governments are changing their plastic production and use.” Long story short: Progress IS happening, albeit slowly and with a long way to go. Read the highlights on Packaging Europe, or check out the full report on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Travel blogger Jessica Nabongo recently traveled to every country on Earth. And what did she find? Our planet is drowning in single-use plastics. Read about her experiences on HuffPost.
BP has announced a technology that could allow currently-unrecyclable PET plastic waste into new, virgin-quality plastics. The company plans to construct a $25m pilot plant before progressing to full-scale commercialization. Read more on Packaging News.
In case you haven’t heard, there are a number of clothing companies - both major brands and start-ups - that are putting out more eco-friendly clothing lines. Levi’s is one of the latest, with a newfound focus on hemp-based denim and a shift toward single-fiber garments. The latter allows fabric to be recycled more easily (something that is difficult, if not impossible, with blended fibers). Read more on Fast Company.
Did you know that tires account for 10-28% of the microplastics that pollute our environment? Solutions to this problem are not immediately clear, but they could include options such as particle capture from road runoff. To us, it’s just one more reason to walk, or to opt for public transportation, if possible. Read more on National Geographic.
The city of Rome has launched a program where you can deposit plastic bottles in exchange for a subway ride. The program will take place at three stations over the next year before the city decides whether or not to expand it. Here’s hoping cities like New York and Paris follow suit. Read about the program on Fast Company.
Even scientists are no exception when it comes to single-use plastic waste. Research from the University of Exeter estimates that labs generate 5.5 million tons of plastic waste every year in the form of pipettes, petri dishes, and so on. Labs like the Francis Crick Institute in London are working to change this, but there’s a long way to go. Read more on Phys Org.
From BBC , “Thirteen-year-old Ranniel quit school to support his family. He now risks his life, diving into polluted waters to retrieve plastic waste, the result of a pay-as-you-go, single-use plastic culture that is devastating the environment.” Watch the 3-minute video on BBC News.
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