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

The ocean is swimming in plastic and it's getting worse – we need connected global policies now

What groups like the G20 can do to help fix the problem.

Keiron Philip Roberts, Research Fellow in Clean Carbon Technologies and Resource Management, University of Portsmouth • conversation
Sept. 17, 2020 • ~5 min

What happens to the plastic you recycle? Researchers lift the lid

We investigated plastic recycling in the UK and uncovered startling inconsistencies.

Diego Vazquez-Brust, Professor of Global Business Sustainability and Strategy, University of Portsmouth • conversation
Sept. 2, 2020 • ~8 min

Newly hatched Florida sea turtles are consuming dangerous quantities of floating plastic

A new study reports that baby Florida sea turtles are consuming large quantities of plastic waste during a critical early life stage at sea.

Catherine Eastman, Sea Turtle Hospital Program Coordinator, Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida • conversation
Aug. 31, 2020 • ~8 min

How chemicals like PFAS can increase your risk of severe COVID-19

Endocrine-disrupting compounds are pervasive in modern life, from food packaging to shampoo. Research is connecting their effects on humans to risk of severe illness or death from the coronavirus.

Kathryn Crawford, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health, Middlebury • conversation
Aug. 31, 2020 • ~7 min

Plastics could help build a sustainable future – here's how

Plastics are strong, durable, waterproof, lightweight, easy to mould, and recyclable – all key properties for construction materials.

Sibele Cestari, Research Fellow in Polymeric Materials, Queen's University Belfast • conversation
Aug. 12, 2020 • ~8 min

How Earth's plastic pollution problem could look by 2040

Plastic flows to the world's waterbodies could double over the next two decades.

Ed Cook, Research Fellow in Circular Economy Systems, University of Leeds • conversation
July 24, 2020 • ~8 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

Plastic pollution: why chemical recycling could provide a solution

Even recycled plastics still end up in landfill with our current system.

Alvin Orbaek White, Senior Lecturer in The College of Engineering, Swansea University • conversation
April 21, 2020 • ~6 min

Balloon releases have deadly consequences – we're helping citizen scientists map them

Releasing balloons at weddings and other celebrations is festive, until they break into pieces and become plastic pollution. A citizen science project is spotlighting the problem.

Shannon Brines, Applied Geographer, Lecturer and Manager, Environmental Spatial Analysis Laboratory, University of Michigan • conversation
March 18, 2020 • ~8 min

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