Not all plastic is the same. Old yogurt cups and milk jugs, for example, don’t play well together when being turned into new materials. However, there are solutions.

Pyrolysis breaks down plastic and generates potentially useful oil − but it’s not a silver bullet for the planet.

To deal with microplastic pollution, it helps agencies to know what kind of plastic they’ve got on their hands.

Discovering new materials could drive forward areas such as green technology and advanced electronics.

Oil-rich nations and the petrochemical industry put up the strongest opposition to a pact.

And why wildlife may be the biggest beneficiary.

As concern about plastic pollution mounts, the federal government is revising its standards for calling products recyclable. A recent fine against Keurig could be a sign of things to come.

A proposed chemical recycling plant in western Michigan may provide a handful of jobs but little environmental benefit.

Better measuring standards, more responsibility for producers and an end to single-use products are all positive steps. But the US has not yet endorsed a cap on plastic production.

Better measuring standards, more responsibility for producers and an end to single-use products are all positive steps. But the US has not yet endorsed a cap on plastic production.