plastic
Deluge of Electronic Waste Turning Thailand into ‘World’s Rubbish Dump’
At a deserted factory outside Bangkok, skyscrapers made from vast blocks of crushed printers, Xbox components and TVs tower over black rivers of smashed-up computer screens. This is a tiny fraction of the estimated 50m tonnes of electronic waste created…
These 5 Countries Account for 60% of Plastic Pollution in Oceans
Roughly 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into the world’s oceans every year, and according to a new study, the majority of this waste comes from just five countries: China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. It’s projected that…
IKEA to Phase Out Single-Use Plastics by 2020
Swedish furniture giant IKEA announced a slew of commitments to encourage sustainable living, including a pledge to remove all single-use plastics from its product range globally and from its restaurants by 2020. The plastics ban will apply to its 363…
Greenpeace Finds Microplastics and Hazardous Chemicals in Remote Antarctic Waters
Another day, another sign of the reach of the global ocean plastics crisis. A Greenpeace expedition to Antarctica turned up microplastics in more than half of ocean water samples taken in the world’s southernmost waters. It also found chemicals dangerous…
Whale Dies from Eating more than 80 Plastic Bags
A whale has died in southern Thailand after swallowing more than 80 plastic bags, with rescuers failing to nurse the mammal back to health. The small male pilot whale was found barely alive in a canal near the border with…
China Isn’t Taking Our Recycling: Here’s What We Could Do With It Instead
Last year, China announced that it is officially done accepting “foreign garbage.” That is: plastic and paper recycling scraps from the U.S. and Europe. Since March 1, the country has barred 24 materials, including plastic and paper, from entering its…
EU Proposes Banning Plastic Straws, Cutlery and Cotton Buds
The European Commission has proposed banning plastic straws, cutlery and cotton buds under new plans to crackdown on marine litter. They are among the 10 single-use plastic products targeted that are said to be most often found on Europe’s beaches…