New York city to consider banning plastic straws

If the bill becomes law, restaurants that continue to use plastic straws would be warned, then face fines between $100 and $400.
Review of biodegradable bags shows not enough is known to judge if they are safe for environment

A team of researchers from the U.K. Austria and France has found that not enough work has been done to determine if biodegradable shopping bags are actually environmentally friendly.
Microplastics most abundant in the surface sediments

Microplastics were found at all 16 sites studied in Baynes Sound and Lambert Channel, British Columbia, and were most abundant in the sediments of Henry Bay and Metcalfe Bay, according to a new study, that identified three main types: microfibers, microbeads and micro fragments.
Record concentration of microplastic in Arctic sea ice

Experts have recently found higher amounts of microplastic in arctic sea ice than ever before. However, the majority of particles were microscopically small.
Could a tiny enzyme eradicate plastic garbage plaguing the world’s oceans?

A small enzyme could be the solution to plastic pollution, one of the planet’s biggest environmental problems. Millions of metric tons of plastics wind up in the ocean each year.
The World’s Dirtiest River is Getting Cleaned Up; A Video

“The Citarum river, in 7 years, will be the cleanest river.” – Indonesian President Widodo…
“Great Pacific Garbage Patch” is growing rapidly, study reveals

Researchers estimate that at least 79,000 tons of ocean plastic are floating in waters between California and Hawaii – and known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” an area spanning 1.6 million square kilometers, or about 618,000 square miles – “four to sixteen times higher than previously reported,” the study says.
Top bottled water brands contaminated with plastic particles: report

The world’s leading brands of bottled water are contaminated with tiny plastic particles that are likely seeping in during the packaging process, according to a major study across nine countries.
Microplastic pollution in oceans is far worse than feared, say scientists

A study reveals highest microplastic pollution levels yet discovered anywhere in the world in a river in Manchester, UK and shows that billions of particles flooded into the sea from rivers in the area in just one year.