Styrofoam, unlike some other forms of plastic, cannot be easily recycled. And it takes up to 500 years to break down. Because of its cheap, lightweight, insulating and excellent packing ability, it is used widely around the globe. It is estimated that styrofoam alone takes up around 30%of global landfill space! Now when Luke Clay and […]
Plastic pollution is not just ruining our oceans and marine ecosystems, it is very much present in our freshwater lakes too. In fact, a 2016 report revealed that an alarming 9,887 metric tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the Great Lakes annually. The issue for the Great Lakes, as explained by professor Chelsea Rochman from […]
The one thing that our oceans can definitely do without is more plastic trash. Marine plastic pollution has become a global crisis with millions of tons of discarded plastic becoming a nightmare for marine life and ecosystems. The most dangerous form of plastic in our oceans is the discarded fishing nets/gear that traps animals and most […]
People in the UK and Ireland will no longer be getting plastic straws with their beverages at McDonald’s. The fast food giant will instead be giving paper straws to its customers in a bid to fight the plastic pollution menace. It should be noted that McDonald’s currently uses 1.8 million straws each day at its 1,361 […]
According to the latest report by WWF, the Mediterranean Sea is literally choking on plastic trash. Most of this plastic comes from countries like Turkey, Spain, Italy, Egypt and France. Holidaymakers visiting the area in summer cause a 40% spike in marine plastic litter. As a result, tourists are being urged to limit their plastic use. […]
In a move welcomed by environmentalists across the globe, on Monday, the International Olympic Committee pledged to remove single-use plastics from the organization and its events around the world. In another development, seven major sporting bodies and representatives from more than 20 National Olympic Committees have joined the UN Environment’s Clean Seas Campaign to help bring awareness […]
A male pilot whale was found dead last week in the Na Thap Canal in southern Thailand after consuming more than 80 bags of plastic. Although a veterinary team tried to nurse the poor creature back to health, it died after throwing up five plastic bags. It was later found out through an autopsy that the […]
Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench is the world’s deepest ocean trench. At around 11 kilometers under water, it is one of the remotest parts of our planet. But that has not stopped plastic litter from reaching its depths! A recent paper published in the journal Marine Policy has revealed that at least 3,000 pieces of litter, […]
UK is well on its way to ban single-use plastics by next year. Now after an environmental organization found more than 5,000 wet wipes in a 1,250 sq. feet stretch of beach by river Thames, the country’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has issued a statement saying that the ban would extend to […]
A recent research conducted by Michael Scheurer and Moritz Bigalke at the Geographical Institute of the University of Bern revealed that even remote mountain regions in Switzerland are contaminated with microplastics. The scientists warned that the situation might be worse in other countries where waste management practices aren’t as effective. The researchers analysed soil samples from […]