Plastic credits are supposed to support new cleanup projects. Do they? – Grist
Critics say they won’t work, for one of the same reasons carbon credits haven’t…
Microplastic-eating plankton may be worsening crisis in oceans, say scientists – the Guardian
A type of zooplankton found in marine and fresh water can ingest and break down microplastics, scientists have discovered. But rather than providing a solution to the threat plastics pose to aquatic life, the tiny creatures known as rotifers could be accelerating the risk by splitting the particles into thousands of smaller and potentially more dangerous nanoplastics…
One solution to the plastic crisis may lie in bugs’ bellies – the Washington Post
One way to help tackle the growing plastic pollution problem could be all around us: microscopic bacteria and fungi. A growing body of research has identified a host of microorganisms, some of which can be found in the bellies of certain larvae and other insects, that contain enzymes capable of breaking down common types of plastic..
Indonesia Cracks Down on the Scourge of Imported Plastic Waste – Yale Environment 360
When China banned plastic waste imports in 2018, exporters in wealthy countries targeted other developing nations. Faced with an unending stream of unrecyclable waste, Indonesia has tightened its regulations and has begun to make progress in stemming the plastics flow…
Sponging Up Plastic Pollution – Hakai Magazine
For millennia, humans have used dried natural sponges to clean up, to paint, and as vessels to consume fluids like water or honey; we’ve even used them as contraceptive devices. Whether synthetic or natural, sponges are great at ensnaring tiny particles in their many pores. And as scientists around the world are beginning to show, sponges’ cavity-filled forms mean they could provide a solution to one of our era’s biggest scourges: microplastic pollution….
Road Hazard: Evidence Mounts on Toxic Pollution from Tires – Yale Environment 360
Researchers are only beginning to uncover the toxic cocktail of chemicals, microplastics, and heavy metals hidden in car and truck tires. But experts say these tire emissions are a significant source of air and water pollution and may be affecting humans as well as wildlife…
‘Plastic air pollution’: Microplastics in clouds could be exacerbating climate change – EuroNews
Researchers found several types of polymers and rubber in the water in cloud water surrounding Mount Fuji, Japan’s biggest mountain, and Mount Ōyama.
Their study, published in the journal Environmental Chemical Letters, joins a growing body of evidence showing that plastic pollution has infiltrated most ecosystems on Earth…
The Straw That Hijacked the Plastic Pollution Movement – Hakai Magazine
Plastic straws used to be “environmental enemy number one.” Was the fight against them in vain?
The overwhelming plastic waste Hawaii visitors leave behind – SFGATE
Plastics like in-room toiletries provided by resorts, plus to-go containers and cutlery provided by restaurants, are used and discarded by guests day after day. A single hotel chain can use hundreds of millions of little bottles of shampoo and conditioner every year.
When visitors leave, a lot of these items end up in the trash, yet Hawaii doesn’t have the infrastructure to recycle the immense amount of plastic left behind…