plastic pollution Archives

People putting plastic bottles in recycling bin.

Bacteria Has Natural Capacity to Recycle Plastics

March 10, 2023June 10, 2023 Science Connectedbacteria, plastic pollution, recycling

A common bacterium, Comamonas testosteroni, might hold the key to breaking down and recycling plastic waste on a large scale.

Researchers have developed a recycling system that can transform plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels and other valuable products–using just the energy from the sun. Image credit: University of Cambridge

Climate Change Environment New Technologies

Sunlight Powers Recycling of Carbon Dioxide and Plastic

February 15, 2023July 10, 2023 Science Connectedbiofuel, carbon dioxide, plastic pollution, recycling, solar power

A new recycling method uses sunlight to simultaneously convert carbon dioxide and plastic waste into sustainable biofuels and useful chemical products.

Plastic Pollution: An Emerging Threat Beneath Our Feet

Environment

Plastic Pollution: Microplastics in the Environment

July 5, 2021July 5, 2021 Science Connectedplastic pollution

Tiny plastic particles have made their way from our soil, oceans, and bodies. Plastics on the nanoscale can have dangerous new properties.

Sea Turtles: Josephine the Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta). Fish Rock Cave, South West Rocks, NSW. Photo by Richard Ling.

Environment Marine and Freshwater Biology

Sea Turtles Fooled by Trash Resembling Their Food

June 21, 2021June 21, 2021 Science Connectedplastic pollution, sea turtles

Sea turtles that mistake trash for food are in for a world of hurt. Green sea turtles and loggerhead turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellies.

Environment Sustainable Living

Plastic Pollution and the Recyclable Ruse

April 22, 2021July 10, 2023 Science Connectedocean plastic, plastic pollution

Plastic pollution is piling up. It has a negative impact on human health as well as on the health of other animals and the environment.

Ecology Environment Oceanography

Tracing the Origins of Ocean Garbage Patches

April 5, 2021June 8, 2021 Science Connectedplastic in ocean, plastic pollution

Where do garbage patches come from, what garbage is in them, how do they form, and how can we clean them up once and for all?

Environment Opinions and Editorials

How the History of Littering Should Impact the Solution

June 24, 2020June 22, 2020 Science Connectedocean plastic, plastic pollution

LIttering has wreaked havoc on ecosystems all over the world. What do we do now to amend the global problem of chronic waste?

Environment Science Debate Series Science Policy

Plastic Waste Necessitates Policies for Producers

September 5, 2019April 24, 2021 Science Connectedenvironment, microplastics, ocean, plastic pollution, science debate

By Neha Jain Countries around the world, both developed and developing, have been grappling with growing piles of plastic waste from overuse of packaging materials, such as those for food and beverages, and single-use plastic tableware. In 2015, 42 percent of all plastic produced was used for packaging, much of which is used only once and then tossed, according to a 2017 study published in Science Advances. The study estimates that from 1950 to 2015 about 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced globally. And of the 6.3 billion…

Environment

Microplastics Contaminate Snow from Alps to Arctic

September 3, 2019November 22, 2021 Science Connectedarctic, environment, microplastics, plastic pollution, pollution, snow

By Jacqueline Mattos Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that pollute the environment and can range from 0.05 to 5 millimeters in length. Bigger plastic items can be fragmented by the action of light, temperature fluctuations, ocean waves, or mechanical abrasion into smaller pieces that are widely dispersed, persistent in the environment, and sometimes accompanied by microorganisms. A recent article by Bergmann et al., published in the periodical Science Advances, assessed quantities of microplastics in the snow from the Alps and other northern European sites to the Arctic and found…

Environment Oceanography Science Policy

The US Needs a Federal Ban on Marine Plastic Pollution

May 30, 2019March 11, 2021 Science Connectedocean, plastic, plastic pollution, pollution

Marine plastic pollution must be addressed by the United States through policies on single-use plastics and abandoned fishing nets.