Why Are They Called ‘Forever Chemicals,’ and Other Things to Know About PFAS
Residents of rural Central Massachusetts were shocked to learn that a composting facility likely spread toxic ‘forever chemicals’ known as PFAS into their drinking water, according to state officials. They’re not alone. The state has identified dangerous levels of the compounds in 84 community water systems across the Commonwealth. The chemicals have been linked to a slew of health problems, even in tiny quantities
Beyond Plastics: Shifting the Waste Reduction Burden From Consumers to Producers
Since moving to England a few months ago, I’ve noticed the use of more stringent policies for the disposal of waste — be it cardboard, plastic, or other materials. Europe has been a pioneer in requiring companies to pay for recycling programs, which first took shape around 1990 in Sweden. One of these programs, known as extended producer responsibility or EPR, basically requires companies to cover the costs of recycling programs.
Unilever’s Plastic Playbook
Two years ago, Unilever plc Chief Executive Alan Jope said his company would get rid of the tiny plastic packets it uses to sell single servings of shampoo, toothpaste and other basics because of the widespread pollution this packaging creates. These palm-sized pouches, known as sachets, are commonly associated with ketchup or cosmetics samples in wealthy countries. But they have exploded across the developing world where they are used to sell everything from laundry detergent to seasoning and snacks to low-income households.
Why Canada’s Plastics Ban Is About More Than Litter
Monday’s ban on certain single-use plastics is not just about litter and pollution, shopping bags caught in trees and microplastics floating in the ocean. It’s also about limiting future demand for oil, say academics and researchers.
West Hempstead Activist Wages Anti-plastic Fight
West Hempstead’s Joseph Varon is continuing his crusade against the use of plastics, throwing his support behind two bills before the State Legislature. A seasoned veteran of environmental activism and recycling campaigning, Varon said he hopes to hold plastic producers more accountable.
Compromise on Plastics Ban Comes Under Fire in California Legislature. Ballot Fight Likely.
It appears increasingly likely Californians will get a chance to vote on a single-use plastics ban in November after efforts to craft compromise legislation came under fire this week from groups supporting the ballot measure.
Advocates Urge More Recycling, Manufacturer Responsibility to Reduce Plastic Waste
Six weeks after New Jersey’s plastic bag ban started, those worried about plastic piling up in landfills or polluting waterways are already plotting what’s next to reduce or recycle an immortal material once hailed as a scientific wonder.
Microplastics Found in Fresh Antarctic Snow, as Pollutants Spread
Scientists have found microplastics in fresh Antarctic snow for the first time, in a study they say highlights “the extent of plastic pollution globally.” Researchers at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand collected snow samples from 19 sites in Antarctica, and all contained the tiny plastics, according to the peer-reviewed paper published this week in the journal Cryosphere.
What You Need to Know About Bioplastics
Bioplastics are a small but growing market of plastics that are becoming increasingly popular, thanks to concerns about the environmental and health impacts of traditional plastic. But behind that green sheen, biodegradable and compostable plastics have serious problems.
Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
We need the facts so that individuals and policy makers can take concrete action to replicate proven solutions to the U.S.’s plastic-waste and pollution problems across the country. These solutions include enacting bans on single-use plastic bags and unrecyclable single-use plastic food-service products, ensuring widespread access to water-refilling stations, installing dishwashing equipment in schools to allow students to eat food on real dishes rather than single-use plastics, and switching Meals on Wheels and other meal-delivery programs from disposables to reusable dishware.
We Never Got Good at Recycling Plastic. Some States Are Trying a New Approach.
After recycling's failure to appreciably reduce the amount of plastic the U.S. throws away, some states are taking a new approach, transferring the onus of recycling from consumers to product manufacturers.
2 New Bills Aim to Reduce Plastic Pollution in New York State
As New York state grapples with a plastic pollution crisis, legislators are taking aim at the problem with a new spate of policy proposals. Two bills introduced in the New York state assembly this month would place far-reaching requirements on plastic manufacturers, mandating that they pay for waste management and dramatically increase recycling rates, among other things.
Us Is Recycling Just 5% Of Its Plastic Waste, Studies Show
When most people toss a plastic bottle or cup into the recycling bin, they assume that means the plastic is recycled – but a new report lays bare how rarely that actually happens. According to the Last Beach Cleanup and Beyond Plastics, the organization behind the report released on Wednesday, the recycling rate for post-consumer plastic was just 5% to 6% in 2021.
U.S. Plastic Recycling Rate Drops to Close to 5% - Report
The rate of plastic waste recycling in the United States fell to between 5%-6% in 2021 as some countries stopped accepting U.S. waste exports and as plastic waste generation surged to new highs, according to a report released on Wednesday by environmental groups Last Beach Clean Up and Beyond Plastics.
U.S. Plastics Recycling Rate Slumps Below 6%, Analysis Finds
Americans are recycling far less plastic, according to an analysis published Wednesday, with rates falling below 6 percent in 2021. The research from Beyond Plastics and the Last Beach Cleanup aims to shed light on the state of recycling in the United States given a delay in federal reporting.
The US Only Recycled About 5% Of Plastic Waste Last Year
A new report highlights recycling's failure to keep up with growing volumes of plastic trash.
Plastics Recycling ‘Does Not Work,’ Environmentalists Stress as U.S. Recycling Rates Drop to 5%
A new report shows that U.S. plastic recycling rates have declined from about 8.7% to between 5% and 6%, revealing the challenges and shortcomings of the country’s waste management infrastructure and policies.
Oil Company to Blame in Plastics Pollution
Supreme Court likely to limit abortion access; Oil company to blame in plastics pollution; Oakland rent control; Plus, it’s AAPI Heritage Month
Did Exxon Know About Plastics, Too?
California’s attorney general has announced an unprecedented investigation into the fossil fuel industry — not for its knowledge about climate change, but for its role in causing the global plastics pollution crisis.
California Attorney General Investigates the Oil and Gas Industry’s Role in Plastic Pollution, Subpoenas Exxon
The oil and gas industry has a new battle to fight with California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s first-of-its-kind investigation into their role in the global plastics crisis—and it looks a lot like one they’ve been fighting over climate change.