The nurdle hunters: is combing UK beaches for tiny bits of plastic a waste of time? – the Guardian
More than 170tn plastic particles are floating in the world’s oceans – and millions of them wash up on our shores…
Recycled plastic can be more toxic and is no fix for pollution, Greenpeace warns – the Guardian
“Plastics are inherently incompatible with a circular economy,” the global environmental network said in a report that brings together research showing recycled plastics are more toxic than their virgin constituents.
The report, timed to coincide with the beginning of fresh talks for a potential global plastics treaty, comes as separate research has found breaking down plastics for recycling scatters microplastic pollution into the environment…
Microplastics Are Filling the Skies. Will They Affect the Climate? – Yale Environment 360
Recent studies reveal that tiny pieces of plastic are constantly lofted into the atmosphere. These particles can travel thousands of miles and affect the formation of clouds, which means they have the potential to impact temperature, rainfall, and even climate change.
Plastic has become an obvious pollutant over recent decades, choking turtles and seabirds, clogging up our landfills and waterways. But in just the past few years, a less-obvious problem has emerged…
Plastic in the Depths: how pollution took over our oceans – The Guardian
More than 8m tonnes pour into the seas every year…Plastic even contaminates ocean air, where particles are kicked up by spray and then blown about the planet by the wind. In many places on Earth, it is literally raining – and snowing – plastic.
Magnets, vacuums and tiny nets: the new fight against microplastics
Some are now innovating in microplastic extraction, providing the basis for a touch of cautious optimism. Here is a look at several examples of what is being done…