Plastic
Seaside California City Bans Balloons in Public
Laguna Beach has joined several other cities taking aim at ocean pollution, wildlife health, power outages and wildfires
Seven Scientific Discoveries From 2022 That May Lead to New Inventions
Nature is a breeding ground for innovative solutions to everything from aging to plastic pollution
This 12-Year-Old Designed a Water Bottle You Can Eat
After seeing plastic polluting her favorite beaches year after year, Madison Checketts decided it was time to do something about it
That Plastic You Put in a Blue Bin Might Now Be in a Landfill
A new Greenpeace report found that most plastics produced in the U.S. are never recycled
Wax Worm Saliva Is the Unlikely Hero of Fighting Plastic Waste
Their enzymes can break down plastic in a matter of hours
Human Pathogens Are Hitching a Ride on Floating Plastic
Studies show that various harmful bacteria cling to microplastics in seawater
California Passes Sweeping New Plastic Waste Law
The legislation requires that all packaging in the state must be recyclable or compostable within ten years
Polystyrene-Eating 'Superworms' May Provide Clues for Better Recycling
Scientists find enzymes in the gut microbiome of beetle larvae that can degrade one of the most widely used plastics
In a First, Microplastics Are Found in Fresh Antarctic Snow
The research highlights the extent of plastic pollution and transmission even in remote regions of the world
National Parks Aim to Phase Out All Single-Use Plastics by 2032
Visitors to the iconic U.S. sites will see utensils and cups made from biodegradable, compostable and recycled materials
At Least 85 Percent of U.S. Plastic Waste Went to Landfills in 2021
Only five percent of the material was in the correct condition to be recycled
Microplastics Detected in Human Blood in New Study
Researchers found plastic in the blood of 17 of 22 of study participants, or about 77 percent
Octopuses Are Reusing Human Trash as Shelter
In crowdsourced images, the cephalopods were observed making refuse their home, even using the junk as a place to lay eggs
The Future of Recycling May Be in Microbes
An enzyme-based recycling technology is poised to go commercial, but questions about cost and scalability linger
After 25 Years at Sea, Shipwrecked Lego Pieces Are Still Washing Ashore on Beaches in England
In 1997, a cargo ship was struck by a rogue wave. Among 62 shipping containers aboard, one contained five million plastic toy bricks
Scientists Can Spot Shrimp Eggs From Space
By analyzing the light it reflects, scientists can say whether that floating blob in a satellite image is made up of shrimp, seaweed or something else
Plastic-Degrading Enzymes May Be Increasing in Response to Pollution
One in every four organisms in the microbiomes they surveyed carries a plastic-degrading protein sequence
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Hosts Life in the Open Ocean
Coastal plants and animals are thriving on the plastic debris, posing potential ecological risks
Scientists Made an Eco-Friendly Plastic Using DNA From Salmon Sperm
The material requires 97 percent less carbon emissions to make than petroleum-based plastics
This Apparel Company Wants to Have a Profound Effect on Your Energy Use
LifeLabs Design was founded by a pair of Stanford professors who have developed fabrics capable of cooling and warming the wearer