Garbage dumpyard in Pacific Ocean is getting bigger and bigger
1 month ago

Garbage dumpyard in Pacific Ocean is getting bigger and bigger

India Today  

A new study published in Environmental Research Letters reveals a disturbing trend in the North Pacific Garbage Patch : centimeter-sized plastic fragments are accumulating at an alarming rate, outpacing the growth of larger plastic debris. The research, conducted by The Ocean Cleanup between 2015 and 2022, found that plastic fragments in the NPGP rose from 2.9kg per square km to 14.2kg per square km in just seven years. The study also highlights an emerging ecological issue: endemic marine species are now competing with new species that have colonised the floating plastic debris. This study serves as a stark reminder of the long-lasting impacts of plastic pollution and the critical need for immediate, coordinated global efforts to address this escalating environmental crisis.

Plastic Pollution Square Km Plastic Fragments Pacific Garbage  getting  global  dumpyard  pollution  square  trawl  study  plastic  fragments  pacific  garbage  ocean  bigger  marine  km  research

History of this topic

Creating a Global Package to Solve the Problem of Plastics
1 week, 2 days ago

Creating a Global Package to Solve the Problem of Plastics

Wired  

According to the United Nations, plastic production skyrocketed from 2 million metric tons in 1950 to about 400 million in 2024. Since 2022, policymakers in the United Nations, representing over 170 countries, have been negotiating a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty addressing the full lifecycle of plastics, from design to production to disposal. At the time of writing, the draft …

What to know about the plastic pollution crisis as treaty talks conclude in South Korea
3 weeks, 2 days ago

What to know about the plastic pollution crisis as treaty talks conclude in South Korea

Associated Press  

BUSAN, South Korea — The world’s nations will wrap up negotiating a treaty this weekend to address the global plastic pollution crisis. Their meeting concludes Sunday or early Monday in Busan, South Korea, where many environmental organizations have also flocked to push for a treaty to address the volume of production and toxic chemicals used in plastic products. Greenpeace said …

Fears hundreds of fossil fuel lobbyists could derail crucial plastic pollution summit
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Fears hundreds of fossil fuel lobbyists could derail crucial plastic pollution summit

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Allowing fossil fuel and petrochemical companies to exert their influence in these negotiations is like letting foxes guard the …

Millions of tons of plastic foul the world around us
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Millions of tons of plastic foul the world around us

Associated Press  

On a Philippines beach, barefoot children jumped and played on shoals of plastic washed ashore in previous typhoons. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print People store various waste materials in plastic sacks for sorting out in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn …

‘Once in a lifetime’ chance to end plastic pollution as nations assemble in Busan
3 weeks, 5 days ago

‘Once in a lifetime’ chance to end plastic pollution as nations assemble in Busan

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Environment activists stage a rally calling for a strong global plastics treaty ahead of the …

Why is a global treaty on plastic pollution dividing the world?
Trending News
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Why is a global treaty on plastic pollution dividing the world?

LA Times  

Garbage, mostly plastic, collected en route to Mt. Even before the meeting began Monday, South Korean Environment Minister Kim Wan-sup was trying to dial back expectations, telling reporters: “I believe it may be more realistic to pursue stepwise measures.” Here is what you need to know about the problem and the efforts to solve it: How bad is the world’s …

India suggests funding proposal for plastic phase-out
3 weeks, 6 days ago

India suggests funding proposal for plastic phase-out

Hindustan Times  

India has circulated a proposal for the financial arrangement to implement a global legally binding instrument on phasing out plastic pollution, currently being negotiated in South Korea’s Busan where the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment is being held. India’s proposal suggests that parties …

Nations Meet To End Plastic Pollution With A Global Treaty. Here’s What To Know.
4 weeks ago

Nations Meet To End Plastic Pollution With A Global Treaty. Here’s What To Know.

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING A last round of negotiations on a legally binding treaty to address the global scourge of plastic pollution has opened in Busan, South Korea. Environmental groups and Indigenous leaders want a holistic approach An excavator cleans up plastic and other waste materials on Mahim Beach on the Arabian Sea coast in Mumbai, India, on April 22, 2024. …

Can the World Unite to End the Plastic Pollution Crisis?
4 weeks ago

Can the World Unite to End the Plastic Pollution Crisis?

Live Mint  

-- The final round of United Nations-brokered talks aimed at tackling plastic pollution are opening in South Korea with deep divisions over the need to stem the rising flood of the material, a rift that threatens to scupper a two-year long quest for a deal. A coalition of nearly 70 nations, including Rwanda, Norway and the UK, is pushing for …

'Seize Plastic Items Having Less Than 120 Micron Width', Meghalaya HC Issues Directions To Govt Until Plastic Substitutes Are Developed
1 month ago

'Seize Plastic Items Having Less Than 120 Micron Width', Meghalaya HC Issues Directions To Govt Until Plastic Substitutes Are Developed

Live Law  

While hearing a Public Interest Litigation seeking a complete ban on single-use plastic in the State, the Meghalaya High Court issued directions to the State Government to be followed until plastic substitutes are fully developed and implemented in the market. Mukerji and Justice W. Diengdoh directed the State Government to follow the following policy: " to issue administrative orders or …

THE DUCHESS OF YORK: I'm on a mission to rid nappies of plastic
1 month, 1 week ago

THE DUCHESS OF YORK: I'm on a mission to rid nappies of plastic

Daily Mail  

In a few months I’m going to become a grandmother for the fifth time. Every minute, more than 380,000 nappies are thrown away around the world, and the World Economic Forum says that it is producing nearly 40 million tons of waste each year. The Duchess of York pictured with daughter Princess Beatrice and granddaughter Sienna Princess Beatrice of York, …

Cleaning Up Pristine Beaches Means Spotting Plastic Trash From Space
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Cleaning Up Pristine Beaches Means Spotting Plastic Trash From Space

Live Mint  

-- Plastics are ubiquitous in natural systems, and tiny pieces of the material have been found everywhere from the Arctic to the Mariana Trench. To test a theory that satellites could help detect the waste on beaches, Jenna Guffogg hauled discarded scraps from a clam-shell child’s pool, bubble wrap, single-use PET bottles and a blue polyester tarp to her local …

India’s plastic crisis: The hidden emissions choking the country
3 months, 1 week ago

India’s plastic crisis: The hidden emissions choking the country

Hindustan Times  

Despite ongoing efforts to curb plastic waste, India’s struggle with uncollected trash, especially plastic, and rampant open burning is driving an environmental crisis of unprecedented scale. The study highlights the scale of the global plastic crisis spotlighting India among other countries, with significant emissions driven by uncollected waste and open burning, practices prevalent across many developing nations. India’s plastic emissions …

India, not China, is world’s largest plastic emitter, study reports in Nature journal
3 months, 2 weeks ago

India, not China, is world’s largest plastic emitter, study reports in Nature journal

The Hindu  

New research published in the journal Nature has said that India is responsible for around one-fifth of global plastic emissions of around 9.3 million metric tonnes per year. “Previous studies highlighted China as a high plastic polluter because they used much older data on the country’s waste management” researcher and study co-author Ed Cook told The Hindu. Around 69%, or …

Great Pacific Garbage Patch could be eliminated in 10 years, cleanup organization says
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Great Pacific Garbage Patch could be eliminated in 10 years, cleanup organization says

LA Times  

In their three years at sea, the Ocean Cleanup vessels have removed more than a million pounds of trash from the Pacific Ocean, representing 0.5% of the total accumulation. After three years extracting plastic waste from the notorious Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an environmental nonprofit says it can finish the job within a decade, with a price tag of several …

India emerges as the largest plastic polluter globally
3 months, 2 weeks ago

India emerges as the largest plastic polluter globally

Hindustan Times  

A new study by the University of Leeds, published in Nature Journal, revealed India as the biggest contributor to plastic pollution. The annual, global plastic waste is enough to fill New York City’s Central Park and pile up as high as 157 Empire State Building. India- the biggest polluter India topped the list, producing 9.3 million tons of plastic waste, …

The world is pumping out 57 million tons of plastic pollution a year
3 months, 2 weeks ago

The world is pumping out 57 million tons of plastic pollution a year

Associated Press  

The world creates 57 million tons of plastic pollution every year and spreads it from the deepest oceans to the highest mountaintop to the inside of people’s bodies, according to a new study that also said more than two-thirds of it comes from the Global South. For 15% of the world’s population, government fails to collect and dispose of waste, …

Scientists discover plastic-eating fungi that could help clean up world’s oceans
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Scientists discover plastic-eating fungi that could help clean up world’s oceans

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists in Germany have identified a type of fungi that is capable of breaking down …

An ocean of plastics
5 months, 1 week ago

An ocean of plastics

The Hindu  

There is a real-felt need to go beyond mere tokenism of staging earth-hours now and then to stoke dormant concerns on the world’s increasingly fragile ecology. Increased infusion of plastics, much of it non-biodegradable and unrecycled, in IT and other industrial sectors and in day-to-day life poses another existential threat. These incidents portend the looming unmanaged plastic and e-waste threat, …

Remoulding the Global Plastics Treaty
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Remoulding the Global Plastics Treaty

The Hindu  

As discussions still continue for an international legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, it becomes crucial to consider how it can support a fair transition for individuals who collect and recycle waste informally. Editorial | Plastic solution: Beyond the Global Plastics Treaty These workers collect, sort and recover recyclable and reusable materials from general waste, alleviating municipal budgets of financial …

Editorial: Whatever happened to L.A.’s plan to end its reliance on landfills?
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Editorial: Whatever happened to L.A.’s plan to end its reliance on landfills?

LA Times  

The smoldering, stinking mess at the Chiquita Canyon Landfill in Castaic is a glaring example of the environmental and public health hazards created by burying our trash — and how state and local leaders have allowed this problem to pile up. Nearly two decades ago, the city of Los Angeles adopted a visionary plan to divert 90% of the city’s …

Plastic solution: Beyond the Global Plastics Treaty
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Plastic solution: Beyond the Global Plastics Treaty

The Hindu  

The Global Plastics Treaty, an ambitious initiative involving at least 175 United Nations member nations to eliminate the use of plastics, concluded its fourth round of negotiations recently. The goal is to finalise a legal document by the end of 2024 with timelines by when countries must agree to curb plastic production, eliminate its uses that create wastage, ban certain …

Chemicals in plastics far more numerous than previous estimates, report says
9 months, 1 week ago

Chemicals in plastics far more numerous than previous estimates, report says

The Hindu  

At least 3,000 more chemicals are in plastics — from food packaging to toys to medical devices — than previously estimated by environmental agencies, a report published on Thursday found, raising questions over pollution and consumer safety. While the United Nations Environment Programme had previously identified around 13,000 plastic chemicals, the report by a team of European scientists found more …

Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore?
10 months ago

Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore?

Salon  

When the Center for Climate Integrity released its report about plastic recycling, one might have expected the environmentalist non-profit to encourage the practice. Yet the title of Center for Climate Integrity's report — "The Fraud of Plastic Recycling" — reveals a very different point-of-view. "Even if plastic recycling rates were higher, recycling alone could never come close to solving the …

The Dark Side of Ocean Cleanup Technology
11 months ago

The Dark Side of Ocean Cleanup Technology

Slate  

Rebecca Helm despises the phrase “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” This moniker is used to describe the vast stretch of ocean from the west coast of North America to Japan that is crammed with an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of trash, most of which are plastic. However, several years later, Helm still believes that we don’t understand enough about the environmental …

At talks on cutting plastic pollution, plastic credits are on the table. What are they?
1 year, 1 month ago

At talks on cutting plastic pollution, plastic credits are on the table. What are they?

The Hindu  

Two groups that want reduced plastics production published a report Friday highly critical of plastic credits, calling them a flawed tool that won't help with worldwide pollution from the material. Verra, the world's leading certifier of carbon offsets, said at an event alongside the talks alongside the talks that plastic credits can be a tool for mobilizing the money needed …

At talks on cutting plastics pollution, plastic credits are on the table. What are they?
1 year, 1 month ago

At talks on cutting plastics pollution, plastic credits are on the table. What are they?

Associated Press  

NAIROBI, Kenya — Two groups that want reduced plastics production published a report Friday highly critical of plastic credits, calling them a flawed tool that won’t help with worldwide pollution from the material. “Without the proper funding mechanisms and tools, even the most ambitious treaty won’t deliver its promised impact.” PCX said in a statement Friday in response to the …

The Planet Earth in a Plastic Soup
1 year, 6 months ago

The Planet Earth in a Plastic Soup

Hindustan Times  

The United Nations declared 2011 as the International Year of Chemistry to honour the 100th Anniversary of the Nobel award in Chemistry to Marie Curie and also to commemorate the contributions of chemical sciences in the progress of human civilization. Unsurprisingly, the United Nations has declared ‘#Beat Plastic Pollution’ as the central theme of this year’s World Environment Day — …

Investors call for urgent action to reduce dependency on plastic
1 year, 7 months ago

Investors call for urgent action to reduce dependency on plastic

NL Times  

A group of 185 investors, including Dutch companies Achmea, Triodos, and PME Pensioenfonds, called for "urgent action" to reduce dependence on single-use plastic packaging, the Dutch Association of Investors for Sustainable Development said on Thursday. "Companies must set a clear vision to drastically reduce consumption of single-use plastic packaging in absolute terms, phase out hazardous chemicals and, crucially, advocate for …

Microplastics Are Polluting the Ocean at a Shocking Rate
1 year, 9 months ago

Microplastics Are Polluting the Ocean at a Shocking Rate

Wired  

If you throw a polyester sweatshirt in the washing machine, it doesn’t emerge as quite its former self. An international team of researchers calculates that between 82 and 358 trillion plastic particles—a collective 2.4 to 10.8 billion pounds—are floating across the world … and that’s only in the top foot of seawater. “We're talking about quintillions, probably, that's out there, …

How much plastic is too much for our planet?
1 year, 11 months ago

How much plastic is too much for our planet?

Al Jazeera  

On Wednesday, January 11 at 19:30 GMT: Microplastics – tiny particles that result from the breakdown of plastics – are everywhere, from the air we breathe to the water we drink. And while the harms caused by microplastics are still being studied, researchers and environmental advocates say more action needs to be taken to rein in plastic pollution. Global plastic …

Editorial: California is leading the nation on cutting plastic trash. But it still needs to do more
1 year, 11 months ago

Editorial: California is leading the nation on cutting plastic trash. But it still needs to do more

LA Times  

Last year was a good one for trash. But in 2022, they went big and broad, enacting Senate Bill 54, a revolutionary law that will start phasing out all varieties of single-use plastic in 2025 — basically everything on the shelves of grocery and other retail stores — through escalating composting and recycling requirements on consumer products packaging. But even …

Why Most Plastic Ends Up As Trash In A Landfill : Short Wave : NPR
2 years ago

Why Most Plastic Ends Up As Trash In A Landfill : Short Wave : NPR

NPR  

The Myth of Plastic Recycling Enlarge this image toggle caption Laura Sullivan/NPR Laura Sullivan/NPR For many, recycling feels like a tangible way to personally combat climate change and to positively affect the environment. That's partially because of decades of public environmental campaigns, But the reality is that only a small fraction of plastic is ultimately recycled. A recent Greenpeace report …

The secrets being revealed by ocean garbage patches
2 years, 2 months ago

The secrets being revealed by ocean garbage patches

BBC  

The secrets being revealed by ocean garbage patches Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images Much of the rubbish that ends up in the sea stays close to the shore where it is then swept back onto the land The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an enormous agglomeration of plastic waste floating in the world's largest ocean, but it's not the only one and …

Ocean Cleanup pulls first 100,000 kg of plastic from Pacific
2 years, 4 months ago

Ocean Cleanup pulls first 100,000 kg of plastic from Pacific

NL Times  

The Ocean Cleanup project reached an important milestone last week. It officially removed over 100,000 kilograms of plastic waste from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, CEO and inventor Boyan Slat announced. “I’m proud of The Ocean Cleanup team for crossing this milestone, which is all the more remarkable considering System 002 is still an experimental system. Now that our technology …

Editorial: California has a chance to lead the nation on cutting plastic trash. If we don’t blow it
2 years, 5 months ago

Editorial: California has a chance to lead the nation on cutting plastic trash. If we don’t blow it

LA Times  

Plastic trash lies on the beach after heavy rains near the Santa Ana River in 2018. The last few years have seen one distressing news story after another about the scourge of plastic waste: Single-use plastic packaging dumped in the ocean is killing sea animals who mistake it for food. The bill requires that 65% of all single-use plastic must …

Canada to ban single-use plastics by the end of the year in a ‘historic’ move
2 years, 6 months ago

Canada to ban single-use plastics by the end of the year in a ‘historic’ move

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The ambitious plan comes after years of announcements made by Justin Trudeau’s government to ban single-use plastic in order …

Antibiotics from plastics! Study reveals use of microplastics in water bodies
2 years, 6 months ago

Antibiotics from plastics! Study reveals use of microplastics in water bodies

Live Mint  

As the world struggles to combat pollution in various aspects-- soil, air, water, noise-- a recent study published in the journal, 'American Society for Microbiology' have found that plastic pollution may after all serve as the source for antibiotics in ocean. Scientists and experts who conducted the study have pointed out that at least 5-13 million tonnes of plastic waste …

Ocean Cleanup pulling plastic out of world's most polluted river in Guatemala
2 years, 6 months ago

Ocean Cleanup pulling plastic out of world's most polluted river in Guatemala

NL Times  

Boyan Slat's Ocean Cleanup is testing new technology to intercept plastic waste before it washes into the ocean. A trial run with the Interceptor Trashfence is currently happening in the Rio Motagua in Guatemala - the heaviest polluting river in the world, the company said. The Interceptor Trashfence was explicitly designed for the Rio Motagua after the Ocean Cleanup researchers …

Efforts on to contain plastic pollution off Kerala coast
2 years, 6 months ago

Efforts on to contain plastic pollution off Kerala coast

The Hindu  

As the world celebrated Ocean Day on Wednesday, the 24 fishing harbours in the State have come under the ‘Suchitwa Saagaram, Sundara Theeram’ campaign that was launched on a pilot basis at the Neendakara fishing harbour in Kollam under a State government initiative to clear the Kerala coastal sea waters and the coast of plastic waste accumulation. Sheik Pareeth, managing …

World Oceans Day 2022: Why Is Plastic Waste A Problem?
2 years, 6 months ago

World Oceans Day 2022: Why Is Plastic Waste A Problem?

News 18  

WORLD OCEANS DAY 2022: One of the major natural resources that make planet earth habitable and distinct from other planets, is water. However, oceans today face a large threat from water pollution and the menace of plastic waste. Oceans often become a dumping site for this plastic waste that ends up degrading the quality of water. Humans consume these marine …

Global plastic waste is projected to triple by 2060: OECD
2 years, 6 months ago

Global plastic waste is projected to triple by 2060: OECD

Al Jazeera  

Even with aggressive action to cut demand, plastic production would almost double in less than 40 years. According to the OECD even with aggressive action to cut demand and improve efficiencies, plastic production would almost double in less than 40 years. “Plastic pollution is one of the great environmental challenges of the 21st century, causing wide-ranging damage to ecosystems and …

Big Plastic Count: UK’s biggest investigation into household plastic waste begins
2 years, 7 months ago

Big Plastic Count: UK’s biggest investigation into household plastic waste begins

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Tens of thousands of people across the UK will take part in recording how much packaging they throw away …

Plastic pollution: Green light for 'historic' treaty “历史性” 协商应对塑料污染
2 years, 8 months ago

Plastic pollution: Green light for 'historic' treaty “历史性” 协商应对塑料污染

China Daily  

媒体英语 Plastic pollution: Green light for 'historic' treaty “历史性” 协商应对塑料污染 Play audio file 世界多国将制定一项旨在解决塑料污染问题的国际条约。近 200 个国家同意就这份协议展开磋商，以采取行动，应对 “塑料危机”。 There's growing concern that discarded plastic is destroying habitats, harming wildlife and contaminating the food chain. 人们越来越担心废弃塑料正在破坏栖息地、危害野生动植物健康、污染食物链。因为这个问题跨越国界，所以需要一个全球性的解决方案。 In what's being seen as a landmark decision, the United Nations is moving forward with plans to bring in a legally binding international treaty that targets …

Plastic pollution: Green light for 'historic' treaty “历史性” 协商应对塑料污染
2 years, 8 months ago

Plastic pollution: Green light for 'historic' treaty “历史性” 协商应对塑料污染

China Daily  

媒体英语 Plastic pollution: Green light for 'historic' treaty “历史性” 协商应对塑料污染 Play audio file 世界多国将制定一项旨在解决塑料污染问题的国际条约。近 200 个国家同意就这份协议展开磋商，以采取行动，应对 “塑料危机”。 There's growing concern that discarded plastic is destroying habitats, harming wildlife and contaminating the food chain. 人们越来越担心废弃塑料正在破坏栖息地、危害野生动植物健康、污染食物链。因为这个问题跨越国界，所以需要一个全球性的解决方案。 In what's being seen as a landmark decision, the United Nations is moving forward with plans to bring in a legally binding international treaty that targets …

California officials approve plan to crack down on microplastics polluting the ocean
2 years, 10 months ago

California officials approve plan to crack down on microplastics polluting the ocean

LA Times  

California aims to sharply limit the spiraling scourge of microplastics in the ocean, while urging more study of this threat to fish, marine mammals and potentially to humans, under a plan a state panel approved Wednesday. The Ocean Protection Council voted to make California the first state to adopt a comprehensive plan to rein in the pollution, recommending everything from …

Plastic pollution in oceans on track to rise for decades
2 years, 10 months ago

Plastic pollution in oceans on track to rise for decades

Associated Press  

BERLIN — 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 reaching the world’s oceans, according to a review of hundreds of academic studies. The review by Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute, commissioned by environmental campaign group WWF, examined almost 2,600 research papers on the …

Plastic pollution in oceans on track to rise for decades
2 years, 10 months ago

Plastic pollution in oceans on track to rise for decades

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Plastic pollution at sea is …

Plastic crisis threatens planet as much as climate change, needs binding treaty, report warns
2 years, 11 months ago

Plastic crisis threatens planet as much as climate change, needs binding treaty, report warns

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. A recent United Nations Environment Programme report titled Making Peace with Nature identified three existential environmental threats – climate …

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