Scientists have confirmed that plastic bags litter the very depths of the Earth's oceans inside the Mariana Trench. The findings highlight a polluted region of the ocean often ignored: the very bottom. Scientists from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and the United Nations were able to determine that "plastics are ubiquitous even at depths … [Read more...]
Wet wipes could face wipe out in plastic clean-up
Wet wipes, used for sticky fingers and removing eye make-up, as well as on other parts of the anatomy, could themselves be wiped out over the next couple of decades. The UK government says its plan to eliminate plastic waste "includes single use products like wet wipes". The wipes contain non-biodegradable plastic. So manufacturers will either have to develop plastic-free … [Read more...]
Television adverts highlight growing marine debris problem
Plastics|SA will be releasing a series of new radio and television adverts this week in which it addresses the issue of plastics litter found in the marine environment. “Never before has the issue of plastics in our oceans received so much attention on a global scale. Plastics|SA, the umbrella organisation representing the entire South African plastics value chain signed the … [Read more...]
Urban environment to blame for Cape Town river pollution
Some residents in Hazendal, who live alongside Black River, believe that raw sewage is being pumped into the river and not only stormwater. The residents believe the deteriorating state of the river is causing an influx of flies, cockroaches and mosquitoes into their homes. The City of Cape Town says it’s just as concerned about the water quality and the … [Read more...]
Ocean plastic-cleaning machine to tackle Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Scientists are preparing to launch the world's first machine to clean up the planet's largest mass of ocean plastic. The system, originally dreamed up by a teenager, will be shipped out this summer to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, between Hawaii and California, and which contains an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic. It will be the first ever attempt to tackle … [Read more...]
Solar-powered water wheel cleans Baltimore Harbor
Baltimore Inner Harbor features a wide variety of activities, from museums and parks to dining and nightlife. It’s a tourist attraction that doesn’t put much focus on the harbor itself, which has been a lightning rod for waste. The Waterfront Partnership wants to make the waters swimmable once again, and one of the ways they’re achieving that is with Mr. Trash Wheel. Since … [Read more...]
Plastic pollution epidemic attacking Australia’s coastlines
While heading down the Brisbane river, Jim Hinds once pulled aboard a drunken half-naked man just seconds from “going down for the last time”. But on this day, like most other days for Hinds, it’s back to the horribly predictable as he launches his boat into the Nerang river on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Instantly you see it. Decaying plastic bags hanging from the … [Read more...]
Indian state to build roads using plastic waste
Maharashtra has planned to make roads using plastic waste in cities. Taking a cue from the Centre, it has decided on a pilot road construction project using shredded plastic. “The initial target of the Public Works Department (PWD) is to construct 100 kilometre of roads in and around cities using this new technology,” said a senior state PWD official. “It will not only … [Read more...]
Disgusting find in dead whale’s stomach
Scientists were appalled to find 29 kilograms of garbage and plastic — including bags, ropes, nets and even a drum — inside the stomach of a young sperm whale that recently washed up on a beach in Spain. The 6-ton, 33-foot-long creature was discovered near a lighthouse in Cabo de Palos in the region of Murcia on Feb. 27, the regional government said in a statement last week. … [Read more...]
Pharmaceutical waste a threat to rivers worldwide
River systems around world are coursing with over-the-counter and prescription drug waste harmful to the environment, researchers said Tuesday. On current trends, the amount of pharmaceutical effluence leaching into waterways could increase by two-thirds before mid-century, they told a major science conference in Vienna. "A large part of the freshwater ecosystems is … [Read more...]
Popular seafood restaurant urged to abandon single-use plastic
Greenpeace has launched a campaign urging Ocean Basket to expand its commitment to the environment by investing in biodegradable or reusable alternatives. The following single-use plastic items should be abandoned: Plastic, polystyrene and other non-recyclable containers Plastic bags Condiments in plastic sachets and/ or other in non-recyclable packaging … [Read more...]
Ghana entrepreneur building roads out of plastic bags
Across Africa, communities are devising new approaches to manage plastic waste. In Ghana, a former factory hand for Ashaiman may have found a new way to deal with the polymers contaminating our environments. Nelson Boateng, a Ghana-born network engineer, recently developed a form of asphalt recycled from his country’s plastic waste, particularly plastic bags, which is then … [Read more...]
Fighting a rising tide of plastic pollution in the Galápagos Islands
When the clean-up volunteers in the Galápagos Islands came across a soda can with a brand from Indonesia, they were hardly surprised. For months, they had been cleaning the remote beaches of these iconic islands 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador and removing tonnes of plastic waste, much of it carried to the islands from other corners of the planet. This emblematic … [Read more...]
