The Ocean Cleanup brings in its first haul of ocean plastics; Congress creates a Plastics Solutions Task Force; a botanical garden in North Carolina showcases a holiday display entirely from waste; and more.
The Ocean Cleanup pulls in its first haul of ocean plastics. Photo and article by New Atlas.
INITIATIVES
The Ocean Cleanup has brought its first haul of ocean plastic back to shore. The non-profit was founded in 2013 by Dutch inventor Boyan Slat at the age of 18. Now, after six years of R&D and a couple of setbacks, the organization has completed its first step of ocean plastic collection. Read more on New Atlas.
Federal lawmakers have announced a bi-partisan Congressional Plastics Solutions Task Force. The workgroup is intended to help boost plastics recycling through technology investments. The task force will include elected officials at the federal, state and local level, as well as recycling industry representatives. Read more on Plastics Recycling Update.
While much of the country is implementing bans on single-use plastics, Ohio’s House of Representatives just passed a bill that prohibits municipalities from restricting plastic bag use. According to Newsweek, “the Republican-dominated House passed the bill 57-35, primarily along party lines,” and primarily due to financial concerns. Read more on Newsweek.
National Geographic and Sky Ocean Ventures have announced the winners of the Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenges, including $1.3 million in award money. The prizes have gone to projects Alagramo, Qwarzo, and #PerpetualPlastic. Read more about the winners on National Geographic.
U.S. Departments of Transportation are now allowed to use recycled plastics in their road drainage pipes, which opens a whole new market for recycled materials. Until recently, road drainage pipes were required to be made from virgin plastics, even though private properties often used recycled materials. This change introduces increased sustainability in infrastructure across the country. Read more on Plastics Recycling Update.
Students in Louisiana have taken it upon themselves to reduce their schools’ environmental impact. Students from six schools tested their local water supply and found traces of microplastics. They saw how many plastic bottles were being thrown away each day, and subsequently proposed and helped write a grant application for water refilling stations. Read more on Houma Today.
Brightmark Energy is hosting a national Request for Proposals (RFP) for site selection of their next plastics renewal plant location. Communities who are interested in having a state-of-the-art recycling facility in their area can submit a proposal, which, if selected, could result in “investments to the tune of $500K-$1B per facility and triple digit job creation volume.” Find out more on Brightmark Energy’s site.
PRODUCTS
Kenyan scientist Hope Mwanake has created a company that creates building materials out of plastic waste. The company, Eco Blocks and Tiles, was formed in 2016 and is Kenya’s first company to manufacture roof tiles and and other construction materials from plastic and glass waste. Read more on Reuters.
Toothpaste tablet company Bite is revolutionizing the oral care industry. Rather than rely on plastic tubes, the product is made of dehydrated tables of compressed toothpaste that you bite down on and add water. These tablets come in reusable bottles and are plastic-free. Personally, I use this product and love it. Read more on Forbes.
ÉCAL graduate Tuo Lei is repurposing abandoned festival tents into streetwear, to be sold at the following years’ festivals. The designer aims to reduce waste while raising awareness to the issues of sustainability and pollution. Read more on Inhabitat.
European researchers have found a way to use extracts from agricultural waste to create antimicrobial car parts, such as handles and dashboards. The process uses food parts such as waste of lemon, pomegranate, broccoli, and almond shells. Read more on Phys.org.
TECHNOLOGY
Scientists in Singapore reportedly have found a way to convert plastic waste into formic acid, a chemical that can be used to power electric cars and power plants. The process uses metal and artificial sunlight, and, if scalable, could be a zero-emission alternative to incineration for many plastics. Read more on the New York Post.
OTHER NEWS
A botanical garden in North Carolina has created an entire holiday display made from recycled plastic. The Paul J. Ciener (PJC) Botanical Garden is known for its Spring Tulip Bloom; therefore, garden volunteers have handmade nearly 2,400 plastic tulips and daffodils using recycled water and soda bottles. Read more on News & Record.
Skincare product sheet masks (facial masks) have been dubbed the new plastic straws, in that they are an environmental hazard. They are inherently single-use, they are often made from cotton - a controversial material - and they are typically wrapped in tear-away plastic wraps. Ditch the sheet masks and read more on Elle.
More than fifty-thousand pounds of frozen breakfast burritos are being recalled due to plastic contamination. The El Monterey brand of sausage-egg-and-cheese breakfast burritos produced on October 15, 2019 have been reported to contain white, semi-rigid plastic. If you have any of these products, please dispose of them. Read more on Delish.