Link between plastic and heart attacks shows it's time to reduce packaging and its chemicals
Plastic has now been linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and premature death in humans. At what point will policymakers realize this material — which lingers for centuries and is made with chemicals known to be toxic to humans — is as much a threat to human health as it is to the planet?
After Overshadowing Climate Talks, the Myth of ‘Circularity’ Looms Over the UN Plastics Treaty
Delegates from 191 countries meet once again this month for the UN plastics treaty talks in Ottawa, and they need to avoid falling into industry traps that will hinder real progress. Dow chair and CEO Jim Fitterling’s recent Commentary in Fortune is a perfect example of how to ensure failure in Ottawa. If delegates commit to the priorities he outlined, they will fail to implement real solutions to the growing problem caused by his company and companies like it.
Earth Day: How one grocery shopper takes steps to avoid ‘pointless plastic’
Nature wraps bananas and oranges in peels. But in some modern supermarkets, they’re bagged or wrapped in plastic too. For Judith Enck, that’s the epitome of pointless plastic. The baby food aisle is similarly distressing for her, with its rows and rows of blended fruits, vegetables and meat in single-use pouches that have replaced glass jars.
Foods We Eat Are Covered in Plastics That May Be Causing a Rise in Premature Births, Study Says
Premature births are on the rise, yet experts aren’t sure why. Now, researchers have found synthetic chemicals called phthalates used in clear food packaging and personal care products could be a culprit, according to a new study.
Microplastics Pose Risk to Ocean Plankton, Climate, Other Key Earth Systems
An estimated 12 million metric tons of plastic currently enters the ocean each year. This plastic debris gradually breaks down into smaller and smaller fragments — micro- and nanoplastics — which, while less visually striking, can have serious effects on marine ecosystems and may even pose a threat to the stability of Earth’s climate. A recent estimate suggests that as much as 358 trillion microplastic particles are floating on the surface of the world’s oceans, with untold trillions more in deeper reaches.
For the Love of God, Stop Microwaving Plastic
A study of baby-food containers shows that microwaving plastic releases millions upon millions of polymer bits.
How Plastics Are Poisoning Us
Eventually, though, like Franklin-Wallis, Schaub comes to see that she’s been living a lie. Midway through her experiment, she signs up for an online course called Beyond Plastic Pollution, offered by Judith Enck, a former regional administrator for the E.P.A. Only containers labelled No. 1 (pet) and No. 2 (high-density polyethylene) get melted down with any regularity, Schaub learns, and to refashion the resulting nurdles into anything useful usually requires the addition of lots of new material. “No matter what your garbage service provider is telling you, numbers 3, 4, 6 and 7 are not getting recycled,” Schaub writes. (The italics are hers.) “Number 5 is a veeeery dubious maybe.”
How to Build a Zero-Waste Economy
These advocates and entrepreneurs are also envisioning a future free from single-use items altogether. By promoting a “circular economy” — patterns of consumption that reduce waste generation of any kind — they hope to eliminate not only single-use plastics, but also disposable products made from paper and metal. Their vision will require whole new business models and supply chains that prioritize reuse — containers and dishware and shipping packages that can be used again and again rather than discarded after just a few minutes.
The Little-Known Unintended Consequence of Recycling Plastics
Instead of helping to tackle the world’s staggering plastic waste problem, recycling may be exacerbating a concerning environmental problem: microplastic pollution. A recent peer-reviewed study that focused on a recycling facility in the United Kingdom suggests that anywhere between 6 to 13 percent of the plastic processed could end up being released into water or the air as microplastics — ubiquitous tiny particles smaller than five millimeters that have been found everywhere from Antarctic snow to inside human bodies.
Who Said Recycling Was Green? It Makes Microplastics By the Ton
Research out of Scotland suggests that the chopping, shredding and washing of plastic in recycling facilities may turn as much as six to 13 percent of incoming waste into microplastics—tiny, toxic particles that are an emerging and ubiquitous environmental health concern for the planet and people.
Are Microplastics Invading the Male Reproductive System?
A new pilot study shows that microplastics — plastic particles that are smaller than five millimeters or close to the size of a short rice grain – can be found in human testis and semen, according to the paper published last month inScience of The Total Environment. While experts believe more data are needed to confirm the findings, this study sheds light on the possible penetration of microplastics into the human reproductive system and the urgency for understanding their potential health impact.
EU Urged To Mandate Microplastic Filters In New Washing Machines
The European Union (EU) has been urged to mandate the fitting of filters in all new washing machines to tackle the growing issue of microplastic pollution. The call has been made in a new whitepaper, which has been delivered to European Commission members ahead of an EU initiative to tackle microplastics, due to be published next month.
UDC to Host ‘Plastics: Damning the Delaware’ Presentation on April 6
Creshkoff began checking glass-clad buildings in lower Manhattan in 1997 for bird collisions. The effort was adopted by NYC Audubon and is now known as Project Safe Flight. A vegetarian for ethical reasons since age 10 and full vegan since 2019 to reduce her carbon footprint, Judith Enck’s Beyond Plastic Pollution class inspired her to turn her skills to fight the prevalence of plastic.
A New Research Review Describes Plastics, ‘From Cradle to Grave,’ as a Toxics Crisis and Says the UN Must Act to Limit Production
Chemicals found in plastics cause cancer, disrupt hormones, harm human reproductive systems and lead to obesity and diabetes, the Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Human Health finds.
Challenge to Reduce Plastic Consumption on Global Recycling Day
President of Beyond Plastics speaks about the environmental impact of our plastic consumption.
Here’s How Many Times You Need to Reuse Your Reusable Grocery Bags
Many of us are drowning in reusable bags — cloth totes or thicker, more durable plastic bags — that retailers sell cheaply or give away to customers as an ostensibly greener alternative to single-use plastic. Campaigners say these bag hoards are creating fresh environmental problems, with reusable bags having a much higher carbon footprint than thin plastic bags.
IC Says Thanks, Others No Thanks for New Turf Field
Ever since Ithaca College’s football field was first installed in 1958, it has been home to many games full of excited football fans. After being named the Jim Butterfield Stadium in 1992, the field has since undergone many renovations and changes over the years. The most recent decision to replace the field’s natural grass with artificial turf has led to many environmental concerns from local activist groups.
Microplastics Are Filling the Skies. Will They Affect the Climate?
Recent studies reveal that tiny pieces of plastic are constantly lofted into the atmosphere. These particles can travel thousands of miles and affect the formation of clouds, which means they have the potential to impact temperature, rainfall, and even climate change.
Pediatrician Describes Health Risks and Solutions to Country’s Plastics Problem
A medical doctor and epidemiologist with decades of experience in pollution’s impact on the health of people, animals, and nature reminded a national audience recently that “disease, disability, and death occur across the whole life cycle of plastic,” from production through use and disposal.
How Microplastics Are Infiltrating the Food You Eat
Plastic pollution is one of the defining legacies of our modern way of life, but it is now so widespread it is even finding its way into fruit and vegetables as they grow.