Fossil fuel giants and banks under fire for rise in single-use plastics
Barcelona, SpainThomson Reuters Foundation Production of single-use plastics is set to grow 30 per cent in the next five years, fuelling their contribution to global warming and ocean pollution, researchers said on Tuesday as they published a list of companies that manufacture and fund throwaway plastic. The first “Plastic Waste Makers Index“, published by the Australia-based […]
Essay: The war against plastic is distracting us from pollution that cannot be seen
In an article first published on The Conversation, UK-based academics THOMAS STANTON, MATTHEW JOHNSON and PAUL KAY, say plastic is only part of the pollution problem…
The Long Read: Plastic pandemic – How COVID-19 trashed the recycling dream
JOE BROCK, of Reuters, reports on how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the plastic recycling industry around the world…
Plastic pollution flowing into oceans to triple by 2040 – study
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. […]
A RUBBISH CAMPAIGN: TEAR AUSTRALIA CALLS FOR ACTION ON PLASTIC POLLUTION
DAVID ADAMS reports on a new Australian campaign aimed at engaging churches in the fight against plastic waste…
Trash for teaching: Indian students hope to set example on plastic recycling
Chennai, IndiaThomson Reuters Foundation Armed with bags full of discarded plastic, students at a school in north-east India are hoping to set a precedent by helping the planet – and getting free tuition. The Akshar Forum school in Pamohi in Assam state in north-east India encourages pupils to bring in at least 20 pieces of […]
Bottled water giants back new global plan to cut plastic waste
Barcelona, SpainThomson Reuters Foundation The world’s biggest yoghurt maker Danone and food packaging giant Tetra Pak are among companies leading a global scheme to reduce plastic waste, launched on Tuesday, as public concern rises over the environmental damage caused by rubbish. The 3R Initiative – also backed by Swiss food giant Nestle, which owns Perrier […]
You may be eating a credit card’s worth of plastic each week – study
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Plastic pollution is so widespread in the environment that you may be ingesting five grams a week, the equivalent of eating a credit card, a study commissioned by the environmental charity WWF International said on Wednesday. A plastic bottle is seen floating in an Adriatic sea of the island Mljet, Croatia, on 30th […]
Tiny East Timor to become world’s first plastic-neutral nation
Kuala LumpurThomson Reuters Foundation In a region where seas are awash with trash, East Timor is set to become the world’s first country to recycle all its plastic waste after it teamed up with Australian researchers on Friday to build a revolutionary recycling plant. The $US40 million plant will ensure that no plastic, once used […]
Companies urged to clean up their act on plastic as study shows deadly impact
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation Up to a million people die every year in poor countries from illnesses caused by discarded waste and plastic pollution, researchers said on Tuesday, urging governments and consumer goods companies to clean up their act. Mismanaged waste creates a breeding ground for disease-carrying insects that spread malaria, dengue and typhoid fever, while […]