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Explainer – Can the tide of plastic pollution be turned?

Philippines Manila plastic pollution

Thomson Reuters Foundation From drinks bottles to straws and cotton buds, the amount of plastic waste that flows into the world’s oceans and marine areas is expected to nearly triple by 2040, adding up to 37 million tonnes each year, the UN Environment Programme says. Just nine per cent of all the plastic waste ever […]

Plastic pollution flowing into oceans to triple by 2040 – study

Plastic pollution chart

SingaporeReuters The amount of plastic waste flowing into the ocean and killing marine life could triple in the next 20 years, unless companies and governments can drastically reduce plastic production, a new study published on Thursday said. Single-use plastic consumption has increased during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the International Solid Waste Association, an NGO. […]

Bottling it? Plastic pollution from Coca-Cola, PepsiCo fuels emissions

Plastic bottles Barbados

Rome, ItalyThomson Reuters Foundation Four of the world’s largest consumer brands are contributing to planet-heating emissions by using throwaway plastic to package everything from soft drinks and snacks to shampoo, said a report published on Tuesday. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle and Unilever are responsible for half a million tonnes of plastic pollution annually in the six […]

In a bid to repair Pacific ties, Australia legislates greater recycling use

Sydney, AustraliaReuters Australia will require government departments to use more recycled products, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, as Canberra looks to repair ties with Pacific island nations despite a refusal to step up efforts on global warming. Morrison last year angered Pacific Island leaders when he declined to strengthen Canberra’s target for reducing […]

Malaysia urged to cut down on plastic packaging for cleaner seas

Plastic Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation An analysis of Asia’s worst ocean polluters shows Malaysians are the biggest individual consumers of plastic packaging, green group WWF said on Monday, urging the government to limit single-use plastics and work with companies to fund a recycling push. The WWF report on plastics looked at China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the […]

Carrier bag spat erupts as Islamabad moves to ban plastic

Islamabad, PakistanThomson Reuters Foundation When inspectors showed up to investigate reports that a popular Islamabad take-out restaurant was flaunting the city’s new plastic bag ban last week, the response was less than contrite. Video footage – which quickly appeared on social media – showed one of the inspectors being grabbed and shoved. Islamabad’s district commissioner […]