The Cost of Amazon’s Plastic Denial on the World’s Oceans
Reports Andrew Craigie Reports Andrew Craigie

The Cost of Amazon’s Plastic Denial on the World’s Oceans

For the third year, Oceana analyzed e-commerce packaging data and found that Amazon generated 709 million pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2021. This is a 18% increase of Oceana’s 2020 estimate of 599 million pounds and is enough plastic to circle the Earth more than 800 times in the form of air pillows. Oceana found, based on data from a peer-reviewed study on plastic waste pollution published in Science in 2020, that up to 26 million pounds of this plastic waste will end up in the world’s waterways and seas.

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Choked, Strangled, Drowned: The Plastics Crisis Unfolding In Our Oceans
Reports Aila West Reports Aila West

Choked, Strangled, Drowned: The Plastics Crisis Unfolding In Our Oceans

After surveying dozens of government agencies, organizations and institutions that collect data on the impact of plastic on marine animals, Oceana found evidence of nearly 1,800 animals from 40 different species swallowing or becoming entangled in plastic since 2009. Of those, a staggering 88% were species listed as endangered or threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act.

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All Talk and No Recycling: An Investigation of the U.S. 'Chemical Recycling' Industry
Reports Aila West Reports Aila West

All Talk and No Recycling: An Investigation of the U.S. 'Chemical Recycling' Industry

This report provides an assessment of failed, proposed, and existing projects in the United States and demonstrates that the industry is once again proposing to build a new network of waste and burn facilities. Under the guise of “chemical” or “advanced” recycling, the industry is lobbying for and advancing development of plastic-to-fuel (PTF) facilities that will only make the plastic crisis worse while diverting public and private investment dollars away from real solutions.

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Plastic & Climate: The Hidden Cost of a Plastic Planet
Reports Aila West Reports Aila West

Plastic & Climate: The Hidden Cost of a Plastic Planet

The plastic pollution crisis that overwhelms our oceans is also a significant and growing threat to the Earth’s climate. At current levels, greenhouse gas emissions from the plastic lifecycle threaten the ability of the global community to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C. With the petrochemical and plastic industries planning a massive expansion in production, the problem is on track to get much worse.

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