As plastic production grows, treaty negotiations to reduce plastic waste are stuck in low gear

A central question remains unresolved in the draft treaty: Is plastic pollution basically a waste management problem, or can it be solved only with a cap on production?

Sarah J. Morath, Professor of Law and Associate Dean for International Affairs, Wake Forest University • conversation
Nov. 30, 2023 • ~10 min

Soaring crude prices make the cost of pretty much everything else go up too because we almost literally eat oil

Oil is used throughout the US economy and not just as fuel. Petroleum goes into packaging, toys, clothing and especially the food we eat.

Veronika Dolar, Assistant Professor of Economics, SUNY Old Westbury • conversation
March 28, 2022 • ~7 min

Oil companies are ploughing money into fossil-fuelled plastics production at a record rate – new research

We discovered that the 12 largest petrochemical companies announced 88 new projects between 2012 and 2019: new and expanded facilities that will likely operate for decades, ramping up carbon emissions.

Tobias Dan Nielsen, Researcher, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute • conversation
Nov. 2, 2021 • ~25 min

Oil companies are going all-in on petrochemicals – and green chemistry needs help to compete

As global oil consumption drops, oil companies are pivoting to petrochemicals, and could crowd out bio-based alternatives.

Constance B. Bailey, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Tennessee • conversation
May 25, 2021 • ~10 min

Cheap plastic is flooding developing countries – we’re making new biodegradable materials to help

By combining plastic waste with durian wood sawdust, we may have found a way to slow the rise of plastic pollution in Indonesia.

Deirdre McKay, Reader in Geography and Environmental Politics, Keele University • conversation
Sept. 22, 2020 • ~7 min

Why the pandemic could slash the amount of plastic waste we recycle

With oil selling at rock bottom prices, a glut of cheap plastic could reverse progress on recycling.

Norman Ebner, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Circular Plastics-Techno-Economics, University of Oxford • conversation
June 20, 2020 • ~6 min

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