Rise in ocean plastic pollution ‘unprecedented’ since 2005

New disease caused by plastics discovered in seabirds

Natural History Museum scientists say plasticosis, which scars digestive tract, likely to affect other types of bird too.

Microplastics in Auckland’s air equal to 3 million plastic bottles a year

Plastic recycling remains a ‘myth’: Greenpeace study

Plastic recycling rates are declining even as production shoots up, according to a Greenpeace U.S. report out Monday that blasted industry claims of creating an…

Storks give up migrating to live on landfill in Spain

At a sprawling landfill near Madrid, hundreds of white storks dodge garbage trucks as they look for scraps of food among the mountains of multicoloured…

‘They’re everywhere’: microplastics in oceans, air and human body

From ocean depths to mountain peaks, humans have littered the planet with tiny shards of plastic. We have even absorbed these microplastics into our bodies—with…

First evidence of microplastics in Antarctic snow

Most people see Antarctica as a pristine, relatively untouched place, but a new study published today has revealed the presence of microplastics – plastic pieces…

Global plastic use and waste on track to triple by 2060

A world severely blighted by plastic pollution is on track to see the use of plastics nearly triple in less than four decades. Even with…

How microplastics in the air are polluting the most remote places on Earth

Microplastics are being transported to some of the most remote places on Earth by the wind, according to new research involving the University of East…

Where your recycling actually goes

Just 9% of all plastic waste ever created has been recycled. Last year, the U.S. exported 74,000 shipping containers of plastic waste to low-income countries.…

Dead rivers, polluted oceans: Industry adds to world’s mounting water crisis

Half of all river basins across the world are now “severely affected” by water diversion projects, which can exacerbate drought conditions and lead to human…

The global ‘plastic flood’ reaches the Arctic

Large quantities of plastic—transported by rivers, the air and shipping–can now be found in the Arctic Ocean. High concentrations of microplastic can be found in…

‘Oil spills of our time’: experts sound alarm about plastic lost in cargo ship disasters

Container ship accidents at sea should be considered the “oil spills of our time”, warned environmental organisations that found a toxic mix of metals, carcinogenic…

Plastic pollution in oceans on track to rise for decades

Plastic pollution at sea is reaching worrying levels and will continue to grow even if significant action is taken now to stop such waste from…

World must work together to tackle plastic ocean threat: WWF

Plastic has infiltrated all parts of the ocean and is now found “in the smallest plankton up to the largest whale” wildlife group WWF said.…

Safe planetary boundary for pollutants, including plastics, exceeded

In 2009, an international team of researchers identified nine planetary boundaries that demarcate the remarkably stable state Earth has remained within for 10,000 years—since the…

Data from 29,798 clean-ups around the world uncovers some of the worst litter hotspots

Single-use plastics formed the majority of litter in this study. And in general, litter hotspots were associated with socioeconomic factors such as a concentration of…

Social cost of 2019’s plastic more than GDP of India

The pollution, emissions and clean-up costs of plastic produced in 2019 alone exceeded the annual GDP of India. It estimated that unless there is concerted…