Andrew Craigie 4/18/24 Andrew Craigie 4/18/24

Plastics Industry Heats World Four Times as Much as Air Travel, Report Finds

Pollution from the plastics industry is a major force behind the heating of the planet, according to a new report from the federal government. The industry releases about four times as many planet-warming chemicals as the airline industry, according to the paper from scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.

Andrew Craigie 9/26/23 Andrew Craigie 9/26/23

LEGO Drops Plans To Make Bricks From Recycled Bottles

LEGO is abandoning plans to use recycled plastic bottles for its bricks. CNN's Laila Harrak speaks with a recycling expert on why this change in plans is not that surprising.

Andrew Craigie 9/25/23 Andrew Craigie 9/25/23

Lego Says Making Bricks From Recycled Bottles Produces More Carbon Than New Plastic

For years, the toymaker Lego has been trying to figure out how to make its plastic building blocks out of sustainable materials. It’s experimented with all kinds of things — Brazilian sugarcane, for instance, which worked, at least for some pieces. It also tried recycled plastic bottles, which … didn’t work. The company said Monday it’s abandoning an effort to make its bricks out of recycled PET, the plastic found in many of our bottles and food containers.

Andrew Craigie 7/14/23 Andrew Craigie 7/14/23

The Risks of 'Chemical Recycling'

So-called ‘chemical recycling’ of plastics is a highly inefficient process that releases large amounts of carbon emissions and hazardous pollutants. James Bruggers reports for Inside Climate News and joined Host Steve Curwood to discuss the health and safety problems he’s been covering at the Brightmark chemical recycling plant in Indiana.