Media Coverage of Plastic Pollution

(Note: after years of largely being ignored by the mainstream media, suddenly (March 2018) plastic pollution is the environmentalist flavour of the month. We're trying to keep up.)

December 2024 - Global plastic talks collapse as oil states rebel (BBC)

December 2024 - Environmental groups demand EPA to start monitoring microplastics in water (The Guardian)

November 2024 - Plastics lobbyists make up biggest group at vital UN treaty talks (The Guardian)

November 2024 - While plastics are negotiated internationally, a First Nation breathes toxic air in Chemical Valley [Ontario] (National Observer)

November 2024 - Recycling is failing as a way to reduce plastic. Here's why (CBC)

November 2024 - An Expert Explains The Real Dangers of Microplastics to Human Health (Science Alert)

November 2024 - Plastics lobbyists make up biggest group at vital UN treaty talks (The Guardian)

November 2024 - Bali plastic recycling scheme swamped with garbage (The Guardian)

November 2024 - Five firms in plastic pollution alliance ‘made 1,000 times more plastic than they cleaned up’ (The Guardian)

November 2024 - Facing an imminent deadline, nations struggle to agree on a global plastics treaty (National Observer)

November 2024 - Plastic-eating insect discovered in Kenya (The Conversation)

November 2024 - ‘Shocking’ microplastic research prompts review (BBC)

October 2024 - Nurdles found along San Diego beaches pose severe environmental risks (CBS8)

October 2024 - Garbage-eating drone gets to work cleaning Ontario lake (Soo Today) (expect more of these as the Coca-Cola greenwashing marketing machine ramps up)

September 2024 - Microplastic hotspots forming in offshore UK North Sea, researchers find (Phys.org)

September 2024 - 'Innovative approach': Garbage-eating drone sets sail from Ont. city's marina (Elliot Lake Today)

September 2024 - How much plastic is in Ontario rivers, and where is it going? Ask this high school student (CBC)

September 2024 - The 'godfather' of microplastics research says we need to move faster to solve our plastic problem (CBC)

September 2024 - Worst plastic polluting corporation to help clean plastic from Ontario Lakes (blogTO)

September 2024 - Breathing may introduce microplastics to the brain – new study (The Conversation)

September 2024 - What scientists have learned from 20 years of microplastics research (Grist)

September 2024 - Stop Drinking Bottled Water: Experts Warn of Health and Climate Impacts (Newsweek)

September 2024 - Microplastics Seem to Be in Every Kind of Animal… Except One (Science Alert)

September 2024 - 'They knew and they lied': California sues ExxonMobil, alleging deception about plastics recycling (NBC)

September 2024 - California sues Exxon over plastics recycling 'deception' (BBC)

September 2024 - Cleanup volunteer shares sad reality hidden among Hawaiian beaches: 'This plastic comes from all around the world' (TCD)

September 2024 - Consumer searches for ways to reuse empty pill bottles rather than throwing them away: 'Any ideas are much appreciated' (TCD)

September 2024 - Vaporizing plastics recycles them into nothing but gas (ArsTechnica)

September 2024 - A possible explanation for the 'missing plastic problem': New detection technique finds microplastics in coral skeletons (Phys.org)

September 2024 - Scientists announce game-changing new method for breaking down common form of plastic: 'It's very important' (Yahoo)

September 2024 - Electric vehicles contribute more to river pollution, says Environment Agency chief (The Telegraph)
Warning: probable disinformation based on faulty assumptions. I have e-mailed (2024.09.07) the UKEA asking for a study, report, data or evidence to back up this assertion and have not received a response.
I suspect this assertion is based on the assumption that EVs are inevitably heavier than other vehicles, increasing tire wear. This is not necessarily true. A battery pack has mass. However, so does a heat engine, filled fuel tank, exhaust system, engine cooling system, multi-speed gearbox, etc. which are not required in an EV. Due to the state of traction controls in modern EVs, they virtually never spin their tires, reducing tire wear.
However, EVs do not leak engine oil or spill gasoline or diesel fuel onto roadways, which also pollute rivers via run-off.

September 2024 - These Household Brands Want to Redefine What Counts as “Recyclable” (ProPublica)

September 2024 - India emerges as the largest plastic polluter globally (Hindustan Times)

September 2024 - There's a huge plastic vortex in the ocean. This company claims it knows how to tackle it (SBS News)

September 2024 - Gardener shares simple watering hack to save you time in the garden: 'I used to waste so much time standing ... with a hose or watering can' (TCD)

August 2024 - 'Like a slow-motion oil spill': B.C. tour guides haul 32.5 tonnes of plastic debris from ocean (Vancouver Sun)

August 2024 - I left my desk to see the plastics trashing our beaches. It reinvigorated my passion for reporting (National Observer)

August 2024 - High-speed cameras reveal behavior of microplastics in turbulent water (Interesting Engineering)

August 2024 - Plastics turned into 200x stronger material than steel, can be used in industries (Interesting Engineering) (see also next item)

August 2024 - Scientists achieve rapid upcycling of microplastics to graphene (Phys.org)

August 2024 - A bit of nostalgia: Rare Lego piece found after being lost in Atlantic Ocean for 27 years (Inside Halton)

August 2024 - Green warriors: Plants on the frontline against microplastics (Phys.org)

August 2024 - Time-Lapse Video Shows Trash Interceptor Halting Flow of Garbage Into the Ocean (The Inertia)

August 2024 - Teens invent incredible device while searching for way to tackle one of the world's most challenging sources of pollution: 'Current solutions aren't really effective' (TCD)

August 2024 - Scientists develop 3D-printed 'waffle stacks' found to remove 75% of 'forever chemicals' from water (Goodgoodgood)

August 2024 - Aussie team's 'cheap' solution to help combat 12.7 million tonne beach problem (Yahoo)
More than 90 per cent of the plastic material can be dissolved in just 30 minutes. This is how they achieved the solution.

July 2024 - Man shares simple, money-saving alternative to plastic loofahs: 'They can last for years' (TCD)

July 2024 - Researchers find dozens of microplastics in Lake Ontario fish caught near Toronto (Toronto Star)

July 2024 - Shell quietly backs away from pledge to increase ‘advanced recycling’ of plastics (The Guardian)

July 2024 - A former fisherman is turning trash into plastic lumber and expanding Anchorage recycling options (Anchoage Daily News)

July 2024 - New study reveals that mussels, oysters and other sealife contains an excess amount of fiberglass (Salon)

July 2024 - The surprising ways microplastics enter our body (no text version; 2.5 minute video only)

July 2024 - Recycling can feel pointless. Here are Colorado companies changing that. (The Colorado Sun)

July 2024 - UT-Arlington scientist’s research could have impact on a pressing problem: plastic waste (Dallas Morning News)

July 2024 - 4 things to know about microplastics and you (The Straits Times Singapore)

July 2024 - Study: Targeted home systems to remove PFAS more cost-effective than system-wide solutions (Phys.org)

July 2024 - Curb ‘stupid plastics’ and stop industry BS: urgent actions to prevent a plastic crisis (The Guardian)

July 2024 - These plastics were ‘unrecyclable’. An Australian invention is changing that (Sydney Morning Herald)

July 2024 - Our clothes generate microplastics that pollute the St. Lawrence River and other bodies of water (The Conversation)

July 2024 - Norway could lead the fight against plastic pollution (Phys.org)

July 2024 - A brief history of the recycling lies told by the plastics industry (boing boing)

July 2024 - Plastic Free July is a waste of time if the onus is only on consumers (Phys.org)

June 2024 - Microplastics damage the body 'like Trojan horses' - biologist (1News - NZ)

June 2024 - Researchers develop way to effectively recycle stubborn Styrofoam: 'Efficient and potentially economically competitive' (TCD)

June 2024 - Plastics companies blocked mitigation efforts and may have broken US laws – study (The Guardian)

June 2024 - X Trillion review – all-women voyage to the ‘Pacific garbage patch’ packs a rousing punch (The Guardian)

June 2024 - Recycling Plastic Is a Dangerous Waste of Time (CNA)

June 2024 - Commentary: Nanoplastics have been found in the human body - how worried should we be? (CNA)

June 2024 - Most plastics are made from fossil fuels and end up in the ocean, but marine microbes can’t degrade them – new research (The Conversation)

June 2024 - Scientists discover plastic-eating marine fungus on debris floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch: 'Once the plastic has been carried there, it gets trapped there' (TCD)

June 2024 - Hidden plastic deep in the ground (The Star)

June 2024 - Microplastic Map Reveals Countries Consuming the Most (Newsweek)

June 2024 - Microplastics and nanoplastics have been found throughout the human body – how worried should we be? (The Conversation)

June 2024 - How the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu drastically cut plastic pollution (The Guardian)

June 2024 - Microplastics discovered in human penises for the first time (CNN)

June 2024 - Researchers invent 100% biodegradable 'barley plastic' (Phys.org)

June 2024 - ‘Your plastic is here’: how Easter Island copes with 500 pieces of rubbish an hour washing ashore (The Guardian)

June 2024 - Burger King tests newly designed cups that could set new standard for fast-food packaging: 'We can mitigate the negative … impacts' (TCD)

June 2024 - Company develops low-cost, Lego-like construction bricks that can withstand natural disasters — and they're made from plastic trash (TCD)

June 2024 - Startup develops innovative technology to turn plastic waste into concrete additive — here's how it works (TCD)

June 2024 - How the recycling symbol lost its meaning (Grist)

June 2024 - The plastics we breathe (Washington Post) (you might want a larger screen for this one; hint - scroll down)

June 2024 - Microplastics found in every semen sample tested by research team (TCD)

June 2024 - Analysis of water source composition [PFAs] raises serious health concerns worldwide: 'Comparable results could be found across the globe' (TCD)

June 2024 - New study finds concerning link between microplastic ingestion and dementia — here's what we know (TCD)

June 2024 - Indonesians eat the most microplastics, according to study (The Star)

June 2024 - Microplastics Are Everywhere. Here’s How to Avoid Eating Them. (Wirecutter)

May 2024 - Researchers make concerning new discovery after analyzing tortoise feces: 'The first comprehensive study' (TCD)

May 2024 - The Push to Control Plastic Waste in New York: What to Know (TCD)

May 2024 - Ambitious targets are needed to end ocean plastic pollution by 2100, analysis finds (Phys.org)

May 2024 - SOAR 2024: Circular plastics microfactory is meant to be replicated (Waste Today)

May 2024 - Why is styrofoam bad for the environment, and why is a ban being introduced? (NUAE)

May 2024 - New polystyrene recycling process could be world's first to be both economical and energy-efficient (Phys.org)

May 2024 - Toxic Gaslighting: How 3M Executives Convinced a Scientist the Forever Chemicals She Found in Human Blood Were Safe (ProPublica)

May 2024 - 2 teens won $50,000 for inventing a device that can filter toxic microplastics from water (Business Insider)

May 2024 - Stubborn packaging material finally finds breakthrough recycling solution (Interesting Engineering)

May 2024 - Microplastics Found in Blood Clots in Heart, Brain, And Legs (ScienceAlert)

May 2024 - Analysis of sandwich baggie composition raises serious health concerns: 'There is not a safe level' (TCD)

May 2024 - Sustainable, high-performance paper coating material could reduce microplastic pollution (Phys.org)

May 2024 - Many microplastics in the world's oceans have likely escaped detection, researchers say (Phys.org)

May 2024 - Researchers analyze how a chemical process could help recycle a common plastic waste (Phys.org)

May 2024 - SIU researchers mitigate two problems by transforming waste plastic into food (Southern Illinois University)

May 2024 - Study maps human uptake of microplastics across 109 countries (Phys.org)

May 2024 - 4 false solutions that won’t solve the plastic pollution crisis (Greenpeace)

May 2024 - Giant Heaps of Plastic Are Helping Vegetables Grow (The Atlantic)

May 2024 - Microplastics may slow the rate at which carbon is pulled from the sea surface to the depths (Phys.org)

May 2024 - As of today, 2 weeks after INC-4 concluded, no conference summary or communiqué (UNEP)
Normally, a self-congratulatory message is part of the post-conference package. I read the omission as meaning even the spotlight-seeking politicians couldn't find something positive, and the oil industry swarming of the event in oil-friendly Canada succeeded in preventing any actual progress on behalf of the humans residing on Planet Earth.

May 2024 - Nigeria must urgently tackle plastic pollution (Punch)

May 2024 - Opinion: The EU has ruined plastic water bottles (The Spectator)
It is better to avoid a problem than fix it multiple times.

May 2024 - Microrobots Swarm the Seas, Capturing Microplastics and Bacteria [Video] (SciTechDaily)

May 2024 - For cities and towns trying to cut out plastic, here's what's worked and what hasn't (CBC)

May 2024 - Microplastics are everywhere, even in your bloodstream' (National Observer)

May 2024 - Scientists find concerning accumulation of pollution in ocean: 'The ocean floor has become a resting place, or reservoir' (TCD)

May 2024 - Invisible plastic: Why banning plastic bags will never be enough (Al Jazeera)

May 2024 - A global plastic treaty will only work if it caps production, modelling shows (The Conversation)

May 2024 - ‘Everywhere we looked we found evidence’: the godfather of microplastics on 20 years of pollution research and the fight for global action (The Conversation)

May 2024 - How a giant plastics chemical recycling plant planned for Pennsylvania died after two years (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)

May 2024 - Plastic Is Polluting Our Oceans. Will We Get a Treaty to Cut Plastic Waste? (Newsweek)
"The plastics and petrochemical industries had a significant presence at the talks in Ottawa, even outnumbering official delegates, according to one environmental group's analysis."

May 2024 - Costa Rica’s River Fence Prevents Ocean Plastic Pollution (Tico Times)

April 2024 - Plastic pollution talks make modest progress but sidestep production curbs (Reuters)

April 2024 - Plastics industry brings its sales pitch to global treaty talks (National Observer)

April 2024 - Countries consider pact to reduce plastic production by 40% in 15 years (The Guardian)

April 2024 - PFAS increase likelihood of death by cardiovascular disease, study shows (The Guardian)

April 2024 - Humans Can Absorb Toxic Flame Retardants Through Skin, Study Finds (sciencealert)

April 2024 - There's an Awkward Link Between Plastic Production And Pollution We're Not Considering (sciencealert)

April 2024 - This trash robot is cleaning up Michigan's shores, keeping plastic out of the Detroit River (CBC)

April 2024 - The world is struggling with plastic pollution — Canada is no exception (CBC)

April 2024 - What are microplastics doing to human health? Scientists work to connect the dots (CBC)

April 2024 - Farm recycling sideline grows into full-time enterprise (Farmers Weekly)

April 2024 - [dead link: https://www.cp24.com/mobile/news/billions-of-bottles-canadian-statistics-paint-grim-picture-of-plastic-litter-problem-1.6861948] Billions of bottles: Canadian statistics paint grim picture of plastic litter problem (CP24)

April 2024 - Is a Plastic Rock a Rock? (Slate)

April 2024 - Cap on plastic production may be too complicated for global treaty: Guilbeault (Castanet)
Score this game (INC-4) as: oil lobbyists: 1; human survival: nil

April 2024 - ‘Our Mother Earth is sick’: Leaders speak out on rampant plastic pollution in the Arctic (National Observer)

April 2024 - ‘Privileged access’: pro-plastic lobbyists at UN pollution talks increase by a third (The Guardian)

April 2024 - Scientists develop solution to tackle massive pollution problem of research labs: 'We go through bags and bags of them every week' (TCD)

April 2024 - 24% of Traceable Plastic Pollution Linked to Just 5 Corporations (sciencealert)

April 2024 - Here’s who is holding the UN plastics treaty hostage (National Observer)

April 2024 - America's plastic catastrophe (Business Insider)

April 2024 - Advanced Recycling Claims To Convert Dirty, Mixed Plastic Into Brand New Over and Over Again (Bored Panda)

April 2024 - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: The Floating Islands of Trash Three Times the Size of France (CNET)
Well, at least the story gets recycled.

April 2024 - ‘Hopefully, the story dies’: emails show North Bay officials reacting to reporting on plastics factory’s use of PFAS (The Narwhal)

April 2024 - Montreal gets first Consignaction centre as part of Quebec's new container deposit system (CBC)

April 2024 - Survey finds that 60 firms are responsible for half of world’s plastic pollution (The Guardian)

April 2024 - As treaty talks continue in Ottawa, new report predicts clouds with a 100% chance of plastic (Montreal Gazette)

April 2024 - As plastic treaty talks open, countries more divided than ever (CTV News)

April 2024 - Here’s who is holding the UN plastics treaty hostage (National Observer)

April 2024 - Canada to force plastic makers to report how much they make, reuse and recycle (CTV News)
We have too much experience with industry self-serving, er, I mean self-reporting on their pollution production, as with methane emissions, carbon dioxide emissions, amounts of oil spilled ... to have much faith in another reporting system that won't be deployed for years.

April 2024 - Don’t waste your time recycling plastic (Washington Post)

April 2024 - ‘Currents bring life – and plastics’: animals of Galápagos live amid mounds of waste (The Guardian)

April 2024 - World must come together to tackle plastic pollution, says chair of UN talks (The Guardian)

April 2024 - The world dumps 2,000 truckloads of plastic into the ocean each day. Here’s where a lot of it ends up (CNN)

April 2024 - An ocean without plastic? It is possible (National Observer)
In my opinion, not unless we have a strategy, the commitment (including funding), and the tools to remove the existing pollution from freshwater and oceans, including the microplastics and nanoplastics. It's a multi-faceted problem, and just stopping the daily adding to the pollution pile isn't enough, and we're not even serious about doing that, if we measure by action rather than words. The work envisaged now is necessary, but not sufficient.

April 2024 - Plastic-choked rivers in Ecuador are being cleared with conveyor belts (BBC)

April 2024 - I think we're going to see a lot of empty words in the next couple of weeks on plastic pollution because of INC-4. (INC-4) stands for the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) International Negotiating Committee (INC) fourth session (4).
What they won't discuss are caps on production, apportioning response measures or removing existing plastic pollution (not an exhaustive list). Basically, developing solutons is not on the table.
( Cap on plastic production remains contentious as Ottawa set to host treaty talks with 176 countries (Montreal Gazette)

April 2024 - Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised (CTV News)

April 2024 - Microplastics found in food and water may spread from the gut to the brain (Medical News Today)

April 2024 - Startup develops innovative solution to stop plastic pollution at home: 'We feel passionately about keeping the oceans free of microplastics' (TCD)

April 2024 - The celebrated recycling company that's dumping plastic in a landfill (The Post - NZ)

April 2024 - Supercritical water recycles 99% of reinforced plastic waste in minutes (Interesting Engineering)

April 2024 - This could be the year we solve plastics pollution (Globe & Mail opinion)
In my opinion, plastic pollution won't be solved until we find a way to remove the existing pollution, including microplastics and nanoplastics, from the environment, as plastic is persisent.

April 2024 - Ocean spray emits more PFAS than industrial polluters, study finds (The Guardian)

April 2024 - Scientists make concerning finding while studying contents inside human gallstones: 'This underscores the need for greater awareness' (TCD)

April 2024 - Scientists develop self-healing material that could transform the plastic industry: 'We could solve many of the world's problems with a single material' (TCD)

April 2024 - How the UN Plastics Treaty aims to tackle the pollution crisis (abc News)
The UN Plastics Treaty is about future plastic production and pollution. Nothing in the talking points speaks to removing the existing plastic pollution which is already doing damage.

April 2024 - Plastic-production emissions could triple to one-fifth of Earth’s carbon budget – report (The Guardian)
Referenced report ' Climate Impact of Primary Plastic Production' abstract and access to full report.

April 2024 - My company is a major plastic producer. We must end plastic pollution. (Dow Chemical)
"Globally, less than 10% of plastic is recycled, and 32% of plastic packaging escapes collection systems."
Words are not deeds. Dow is spouting more words in advance of the rth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) starting April 23rd in Ottawa, Canada. I fully expect nothing of value to be accomplished for the planet or its inhabitants at this meeting, but rather just more posturing and stalling by industry as it has done now for decades (deny, delay, deflect, distract, disinform).

April 2024 - Critics call out plastics industry over "fraud of plastic recycling" (CBS News) 5-minute video segment

April 2024 - Malaysia’s plastics problem (The Star)

April 2024 - What ails the Plastics Treaty negotiations: It’s not India (Observer Research Foundation)

April 2024 - MIT researchers reveal incredible method to remove array of harmful pollutants from water: 'Most technologies focus only on specific molecules' (TCD)

April 2024 - More Microplastics Are Showing Up in Our Food (Newsweek)

April 2024 - Earth Day 2024: Planet Vs. Plastic (Forbes)

April 2024 - Wetaskiwin County initiative could reduce garbage going to the dump by 90% (Global News)

April 2024 - Goodyear unveils game-changing tire with at least 50% sustainable materials: 'We want to meet consumer and market needs' (TCD)

April 2024 - "Monumental Step": Scientists Create Biodegradable Microplastics (NDTV)

April 2024 - Scientists sound the alarm after examining Antarctic krill: 'Even the polar environment is not free' (TCD)

March 2024 - Scientists Discover Heightened Toxicity Risk For Children With Autism, ADHD (Science Alert)

March 2024 - Plastic Cutting Boards Shown To Shed Microplastics in Food? (Snopes)

March 2024 - Edmonton university students build plastic recycling facility from scratch (CTV)
Link to Level 7 website

March 2024 - Scientists raise concerns after observing 'heartbreaking' behavior of hermit crabs: 'We are living in a different era' (TCD)
As pollution and climate change reduce snail populations, hermit crabs adapt by using plastic trash for protection.

March 2024 - LG's new technology promises to fix one of the biggest issues with refrigerators: 'It's no small experiment' (TCD)
So, industry CAN recycle plastics (and other things) if they actually try the circular economy for real.

March 2024 - "First plastic demonstrated to not create microplastics" has been tested (New Atlas)

March 2024 - Cellulose fibers are emerging as a sustainable option for wrapping everything from foods to electronics (Phys.org)
(I'm so old, I remember wrapping things in something called 'cellophane', a clear film safe for packaging food.)

March 2024 - Microplastic Pollution: These Tiny Particles of Whole Plastics Confirmed for the First to Threaten Human Health [Study] (Nature World News)

March 2024 - Plastics Contain Thousands More Chemicals Than Thought, and Most Are Unregulated, Report Finds (Smithsonian Magazine)

March 2024 - EU’s deposit refund scheme a ‘false solution’ for plastic pollution (France 24)
I'm going to disagree with the 'environmental groups' on this one. Would it be better to stop producing the single-use plastics? Yes. Will that clean up the plastic pollution already littering and degrading our environment? No. So, it's not either-or for a solution, it's both. Plastic pollution on ocean water was reported as early as the 1940s, so the garbage mass has a big headstart. And the 'environmental groups' have been trying to ban single-use plastics since at least the 1970s (I know because I supported the programs). However, I note that the plastics industry really doesn't like deposit-return systems, because if they're expensive enough, consumers look for other solutions, and industry expects to be paid to pollute, not pay to clean up their own messes. Pocket-book politics really works on the plastics (read oil and gas) industry; it's why they lobby so hard and rent politicians.

March 2024 - Startup set to revolutionize consumer goods with plastic packaging alternative — here's what it's made of (TCD)

March 2024 - Scientists can now remove nanoplastics from our water with 94% efficiency (TechXplore)

March 2024 - Most US sandwich baggies contain toxic PFAS ‘forever chemicals’, analysis says (The Guardian)

March 2024 - The plastic industry knowingly pushed recycling myth for decades, new report finds (PBS News)

March 2024 - New study links microplastics to serious health harms in humans (EWG)

March 2024 - Should you stop using detergent pods? Here’s how to reduce microplastic pollution in your laundry (euronews)

March 2024 - Detergent Pods Are Just the Start of Clothing’s Microplastic Pollution Problem (Gizmodo)

March 2024 - From Instant Grits to Polymers: Scientist Kat Knauer Is Laser Focused on Plastics Pollution (CleanTechnica)

March 2024 - Our recycling system isn’t working — here’s what we can do instead (The Hill)

March 2024 - Plastic pollution amplified by a warming climate (nature communications)

March 2024 - Why recycling plastic is not a quick fix (Phys.org)

March 2024 - Plastic is in our blood, what's the solution? (audio clip 4 minutes - ABC Listen)

March 2024 - ‘perfect’ use for annoying plastic produce containers: ‘What a great idea’? (TCD)

March 2024 - What Would a Better Plastics Industry Look Like? (New Republic)

February 2024 - Lake bottom testing shows plastics migrating down into sediment layers (Phys.org)

February 2024 - Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore? (Salon)

February 2024 - Study: Replacing plastics with biodegradable alternatives would lead to significant carbon emissions reduction (Phys.org)

February 2024 - Plastic pellets blight Belgian town as EU weighs action (Phys.org)

February 2024 - Plastics recycling was a green-washing lie all along - report author (RNZ)

February 2024 - Scientists Find Microplastics In Every Human Placenta Tested For New Study (NDTV)

February 2024 - The Fraud of Plastic Recycling (Centre for Climate Integrity) 68 page report

February 2024 - Trash traps removed nearly 63,000 pieces of plastic from Toronto Harbour last year, data shows (CBC)

February 2024 - Scientists create incredible tiny ‘robots’ that could suck harmful contaminants from rivers: ‘Remarkable removal efficiency’ TCD)

February 2024 - Scientists make alarming discovery off coasts of multiple countries: ‘Their small size makes them better able to penetrate the tissues of living organisms’ TCD)

February 2024 - Researchers investigate how lost ropes and fishing lines are handled by the Norwegian commercial fishing industry (Phys.org)

February 2024 - How bananas can be used to fight the plastic waste crisis (Phys.org)

February 2024 - Nonprofit group surpasses major milestone after cleaning over 15 million pounds of trash from the ocean — and it's showing no signs of slowing down (TCD)

February 2024 - ‘They lied’: plastics producers deceived public about recycling, report reveals (The Guardian)

February 2024 - Reduce, reuse, redirect outrage: How plastic makers used recycling as a fig leaf (NPR)

February 2024 - Researchers use electron beams to eradicate forever chemicals in water (Phys.org)

February 2024 - Researchers develop eco-friendly 'magnet' to battle microplastics (Phys.org)

February 2024 - The hidden plastics in our clothes – and how to avoid them (The Guardian)

February 2024 - Groundbreaking New Method Transforms Plastic Trash Into Chemistry Treasure (SciTechDaily)

February 2024 - Are microplastics harmful? Health Canada funds research on potential risks (Global News)

February 2024 - Scientists make breakthrough in removing plastic pollution from drinking water:
‘These things are getting into our body and staying there for years’ (Yahoo)

January 2024 - Scientists launch ambitious roadmap for circular carbon plastics economy (Phys.org)

January 2024 - REDcycle’s collapse and the hard truths on recycling soft plastics in Australia (The Guardian)

January 2024 - A large percentage of European plastic sent to Vietnam ends up in nature, finds study (Phys.org)

January 2024 - EU will force cosmetic companies to pay to reduce microplastic pollution (The Guardian)

January 2024 - Plastics pollution led to $250 billion in disease over one year (The Hill)

January 2024 - Study finds chemodiversity of soil-dissolved organic matter altered by microplastics (Phys.org)

January 2024 - The Dark Side of Ocean Cleanup Technology (Slate)

January 2024 - Plastic fibres are a dangerous junk food for tiny ocean creatures (National Observer)

January 2024 - Fertilisers are a major source of microplastic pollution in soil (NewScientist)
Original article in Nature - Communications - Earth & Environment Citation

January 2024 - Millions of Plastic Pellets Wash Up on Shore (The Byte)

January 2024 - The nurdle hunters: is combing UK beaches for tiny bits of plastic a waste of time? (The Guardian)

January 2024 - Laundry is a top source of microplastic pollution. Here’s how to clean your clothes more sustainably (PBS)
[Disclosure: your host for this page is currently working on how to separate microplastics and microfibres from biomass, including algal blooms and sewage sludge to end the microplastic 'catch-and-release' cycle embodied in wastewater treatment plants.]

January 2024 - Laundry is a top source of microplastic pollution – here’s how to clean your clothes more sustainably (The Conversation)
[Disclosure: your host for this page is currently working on how to separate microplastics and microfibres from biomass, including algal blooms and sewage sludge to end the microplastic 'catch-and-release' cycle embodied in wastewater treatment plants.]

January 2024 - Majority of burgers, steaks, chicken and plant-based meats contain microplastics, study reveals (The Independent)

January 2024 - Plastic chemicals linked to $249 billion in US health care costs in 2018 alone, study finds (CNN)

January 2024 - Microplastics found in overwhelming majority of American meat, water, plants: study (Fox News)

January 2024 - Novel chemical recycling system for vinyl polymers of cyclic styrene derivatives (Phys.org)

January 2024 - Litre of bottled water contains nearly a quarter million invisible nanoplastics: scientists (Global News)

January 2024 - Spain pollution: Millions of plastic pellets wash up on coast (BBC)
It would be best if communities had the ability to respond effectively to pollution events on their coasts. Such spills are becoming more common, based on the number of media reports. If your community is faced by such an event, there are some things you can do to respond. Best for floating pollution would be boats or barges which can pick up floating pollution, especially small pieces, effectively.
RESTCo is working on such a device, and has results from 2023 testing showing it can collect algal blooms and microplastics simply by cruising over them. The same patented technology has also been demonstrated as effective on removing spilled oil from water surface (per Ohmsett testing).

For plastic pollution on shorelines, RESTCo recommends an inexpensive and simple float & sieve method. To protect shorelines, ROSCUE recommends the filter fences from Adsorbit, which were shown effective after the BP Deep Horizon blowout to protect tidal zones from infringing oil.

Of course, preparedness is always best, but some of these things can be done during and after the event.

January 2024 - Here's how a Canada-wide plastics registry could save you money (CBC)
and help keep plastic pollution out of the environment and inside recycling programs.

December 2023 - Majority of marine mammals are full of plastic — including dolphins and whales (StudyFinds.org)

December 2023 - AI predicts the influence of microplastics on soil properties (Phys.org)

December 2023 - Billions of pounds of microplastics are entering the oceans every year. Researchers are trying to understand their impact. (ABC News)

December 2023 - Plastic recycling directory ends, citing lack of 'real commitment from industry' (CBS News)

November 2023 - Researchers develop AI model that uses satellite images to detect plastic in oceans (Phys.org)

November 2023 - Plastic waste in the water might be stopping, or interrupting, some shrimp-like creatures from reproducing (Phys.org)

November 2023 - Biohybrid microrobots could remove micro- and nano-plastics from aquatic environments (Phys.org)

November 2023 - Chemical recycling of plastic not so fantastic, report finds (Monga Bay)

November 2023 - The Federal Court just overturned Ottawa’s single-use plastic ban (Global News)

November 2023 - EU agrees to ban exports of waste plastic to poor countries (The Guardian)

November 2023 - Microplastics Inside Clouds May Be Changing Global Weather, Scientists Say (The Byte)

November 2023 - New York sues PepsiCo over plastic pollution along river (Axios)

November 2023 - Scientists found hundreds of toxic chemicals in recycled plastics (EUrekAlert!)
"When scientists examined pellets from recycled plastic collected in 13 countries they found hundreds of toxic chemicals, including pesticides and pharmaceuticals. The results are published in a study led by scientists at the University of Gothenburg.
"Because of this, the scientists judge recycled plastics unfit for most purposes and a hinder in the attempts to create a circular economy."

November 2023 - Should we clean up the trash in our oceans? New study has a controversial answer. (USA Today)

November 2023 - Scientists caution against a reliance on mechanical devices to clear water bodies of plastic (Phys.org)
The One Earth paper can be found here:
https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(23)00497-9

November 2023 - Bear euthanized due to alarming amount of plastic waste in digestive tract The Cool Down)

October 2023 - ‘Plastic air pollution’: Microplastics in clouds could be exacerbating climate change, study says (EuroNews)

October 2023 - Think that your plastic is being recycled? Think again. (MIT Technology Review)

October 2023 - Sponging Up Plastic Pollution (Hakai Magazine)

October 2023 - Your Evil Car Is Filling the Ocean With Microplastics, Scientists Say (The Byte)

September 2023 - Green hydrogen successfully produced from plastic waste (Interesting Engineering)

September 2023 - Hormone-Disrupting Chemical Detected in 90% of Europeans, Research Shows (ScienceAlert)

September 2023 - A novel approach for removing microplastics from water (Phys.org)

September 2023 - Table salt offers a safe, inexpensive and reusable pathway to recovering useful products from plastic waste (Phys.org)

September 2023 - Genetically modified bacteria found to break down plastics in saltwater (Phys.org)
The problem I see here is, what stops the GMO bacteria from breaking down plastic in the ocean that is part of critical infrastructure (pipes, cable coverings) and desirable equipment (fishing nets, flotation chambers, boats made of FRP, mooring lines, etc.)?

September 2023 - Microplastics discovered in the body tissues of whales, dolphins and seals, sparking concerns for human health Phys.Org)
From the article: "In the ocean, microplastics (tiny plastic particles measuring less than 5mm) commonly accumulate an animal's gills or digestive tract. However, the recent study found microplastics in various other tissues of a number of different whale, dolphin and seal species."
"This suggests that microplastic particles are somehow able to move from one part of an animal's body to another (or "translocate"). This finding may carry health implications not only for marine mammals, but humans too."

September 2023 - Can Plastic Recycling Ever Really Work? (Phys.org)

September 2023 - Microplastics may increase riverbed sediment movement, erosion (New York Times)
Short answer: No, plastic recycling can never really work, because the industry set it up to fail.

August 2023 - Misleading Headline: "Myth Debunked: Removing floating litter will solve oceans' plastic problem" (Times of Malta)
The sub-title is closer to the mark: "Microplastics make up over 90 per cent of the floating plastic", and we agree that the work to date on cleaning up plastic pollution on the ocean has focused on unsightly plastic pollution, and not on microplastics which are increasingly becoming embedded in the food chain leading to humans. RESTCo has focused on technologies which can collect microplastics from open water. We would agree that there is value in doing initial collection work in the areas where the pollution is concentrated, to maximize the amount of material removed for a given degree of effort and amount of time. Remember, while collecting the microplastics is tricky enough, we also have to have a solution for what is removed and will almost certainly be accompanied by micro-scale organic matter like plankton and bacteria. Still, in spite of the complexity, the consequences of leaving ever greater amounts of microplastics in rivers, lakes and oceans is not a good path for future human health.

August 2023 - Plastic levels in Swiss-French lake as high as world's oceans (Reuters)
Per the article,
'Oceaneye, a Geneva-based non-profit that has for more than a decade been scouring the seas to collect plastic fragments, has turned its attention closer to home to landlocked Switzerland.'
'"We compared the levels with the ocean data and reached the conclusion that the microplastic pollution on the lake surface is the same order of magnitude as the oceans," said Pascal Hagmann, the founder and director of Oceaneye.'
The rate at which we are polluting the atmosphere, land and water with plastic pollution is accelerating, so local reservoirs can now rival the oceans for plastic pollution density.
If you're looking for an actual solution, rather than platitudes and future promises of action, get in touch

August 2023 - Great Pacific Garbage Patch cleanup team hauls in 55 tonnes of plastic waste (CBC)
I'm glad they're trying, but that's two big vessels and a lot of fuel, possibly more than 55 tonnes for the two of them.

August 2023 - 90% of Great Lakes water samples have unsafe microplastic levels – report (The Guardian)
Per the article, major sources of plastic pollution into the Great Lakes are wastewater treatment plants and laundry wash water. RESTCo has carried out research work with Carleton University at a waste water treatment plant, and will be doing more in the fall of 2023.

Our past research indicates that the treated water effluent from the treatment plants has a relatively low concentration of microplastics, and the great bulk (over 98%) is captured in the sewage sludge. (See our published paper: Change in microplastic concentration during various temporal events downstream of a combined sewage overflow and in an urban stormwater creek. Our 2023 work is focused on reducing the effluent microplastic outfall further, and separating microplastics from organic matter (like sewage sludge) at an industrial scale.

Our past work also created a prototype capture device for domestic laundry microfibres, reported in the same paper above and described at Keep Laundry Microfibres Out of Natural Waters.

August 2023 - “Ubiquitous” – Scientists Discover That the Oceans Release Microplastics Into the Atmosphere (SciTechDaily)

August 2023 - Recycling Breakthrough Makes Plastic Waste A High Value Commodity (OilPrice.com)
Still in the research stage, years from being ready for production use.

August 2023 - In a worrisome first, scientists detect microplastics in human hearts: Study

August 2023 - Microplastics Could Trigger Inflammation in Human Brain Cells (ScienceAlert)
"Mounting evidence suggests microplastics in our blood are likely capable of crossing our mammalian brain-blood barrier. Now preliminary experiments reveal the potential impact they can have once in there, finding weathered microplastics are far more toxic to human brain cells than fresh ones."

August 2023 - Ocean's Silent Plastic Invasion: Marine Mammals Now Carry Microplastics Within (SciTechDaily)
Research suggests that microplastics, once ingested, move into the fat and internal organs of whales.

August 2023 - New recycling process could find markets for 'junk' plastic waste (Phys.org)

August 2023 - UBC researchers discover way to filter microplastics out of water using plants (Vancouver Sun)
I don't really want to rain on UBC's parade; at least they're doing SOMETHING. However, I think we could put the plant fibre (wood dust) and tannins to better use, and avoid making bigger amounts of waste to be managed with the microplastics. Also, there is a commercial, reusable solution for this problem already. I have tested it as part of my National Geographic Society grant work (works down to nanoplastics), and it can work in waste water treatment plants. I have personally used this product for years to filter rainwater for domestic use (because microplastics can move throught the air and settle on collection surfaces), and it works well. For more on Canadian sourcing for this reusable, recyclable material made from recovered waste textile material, see the ROSCUE website.

June 2023 - DePoly keeps hard-to-recycle plastic from ending up in landfills (TechCrunch)
DePloy’s chemical recycling tech operates at room temperature and standard pressure and does not need plastics and materials to be washed, pre-sorted, pre-melted or separated.

June 2023 - Paper Trail (CBC)
Canada is one of the biggest exporters of recyclable paper to India, but along with that paper comes plastic waste — lots of it.
I guess it's easier for Canada to export the problem than solve it at home.

June 2023 - Microplastics found in every sample of water taken during the Ocean Race (The Guardian)
Concentrations of plastics in round-the-world race through remote ocean environments found to be up to 18 times higher than during previous event in 2017-18

May 2023 - 1st Plastics Pollution Weather Forecast Predicts 88 Pounds of Microplastic Over Paris (Science Alert)
"We're just now pulling our heads out of the sand when it comes to the health hazards of microplastics."

May 2023 - Why recycling plastic may not be as good for the planet as we thought (The Guardian)
This summary piece is buried in a weekly 'newsletter', but key points are worth noting.

May 2023 - What microplastics are doing to seabirds could tell us about their effect on humans (CBC)

May 2023 - Plastics are in our air, food, and water. A reckoning is coming–and smart businesses can see it (Fortune)

May 2023 - Toxins hidden in plastics are the industry’s dirty secret – recycling is not the answer (The Guardian)

May 2023 - New study finds bio-based plastic and plastic-blend textiles do not biodegrade in the ocean (Phys.org)

April 2023 - Antarctica 'is dying' and two everyday human activities are fueling the decline, an expert says (lnine.com.au)
Microplastics found 'in every single water sample' from Antarctica, marine biologist says

If you want to capture the microfibres and microplastics from your own laundry, you could build a device like this one I prototyped in 2020. In the test runs, it captured a lot of fibres. I hope to see a paper published which includes this data sometime in 2023.)

April 2023 - Microplastic pollution keeps getting worse. Filtration could be a fix (EuroNews)
If you think a filter on your washing machine water outlet could be a solution, you can build your own. This is a prototype I designed, but did not get funded to go into production. This product was tested with Carleton University, and found to collect significant quantities of microfibres.
In Canada, you can buy the reusable filter sock which filters the fibres from ROSCUE. (See row 19 on the price list), or buy the filter fabric by the square foot ($3) or metre ($30) and sew up your own iuf DIY is your jam.)

April 2023 - Dirty spring snow carries more than dirt. There are also other pollutants we can't see (CBC)

April 2023 - Latest Research in Microplastic Pollution: What Does the Future Hold? (AZO Cleantech)

April 2023 - Recycling Isn’t Virtuous; It’s Making Things Worse (Psychology Today)

April 2023 - Fashion greenwashing glossary part two: what do ‘biodegradable’, ‘closed loop’ and ‘degrowth’ really mean? (The Guardian)

April 2023 - In the Philippines, a nation swallowed by plastic waste (Washington Post)

April 2023 - A Critical Arctic Organism Is Now Infested With Microplastics (Wired)

April 2023 - Plastic colonialism: Mexico’s waste imports from the US double in two years (EL PAÍS)

April 2023 - Arctic ice algae heavily contaminated with microplastics, reports new research (Phys.org)

April 2023 - Plastic-eating backyard fungi discovery boosts hopes for a solution to the recycling crisis (Australia Broadcasting Corp)

April 2023 - The massive recycling warehouse fire is a stark reminder: plastics are a pollution nightmare (The Verge)

April 2023 - Three ways to solve the plastics pollution crisis (Nature)

April 2023 - Scientists increase efficiency of enzyme that breaks down PET plastic (Phys.org)

March 2023 - West Coast MP wants Ottawa to ban plastic foam causing a wave of pollution (National Observer)

March 2023 - Why most plastic can’t be recycled (DW)

March 2023 - Microplastics and Barrie company's 'secret process' (Barrie Today)

March 2023 - Microplastics Are in the Sky. Could They Change Our Climate? (The Tyee)

March 2023 - A comprehensive analysis of the human and ocean health impacts of ocean plastics (Phys.org)
Original paper at The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health

March 2023 - Brazilian researchers find 'terrifying' plastic rocks on remote island (Reuters)

March 2023 - Norway has had a bottle deposit scheme since 1902: Why is England lagging behind its neighbours? (EuroNews)

March 2023 - Rich countries export twice as much plastic waste to the developing world as previously thought (Grist)

March 2023 - Charted: The Global Plastic Waste Trade (Visual Capitalist)

March 2023 - Nurdle pollution turns Spanish beach into 'plastic soup' (France 24)

March 2023 - Researchers develop highly-efficient, non-toxic method to upcycle single-use plastic (Phys.org)

March 2023 - New disease caused by plastics discovered in seabirds (The Guardian)

March 2023 - A Bali isle was plagued by trash. Residents made cleaning up pay. (Al Jazeera)

March 2023 - Novel method of analyzing microplastic particle pollution can facilitate environmental impact assessment (Phys.org)

February 2023 - Plastic consumption on course to nearly double by 2050 - research (Reuters)

February 2023 - Dow said it would recycle these donated shoes. Instead, they were found for sale in Indonesia. (Globe & Mail)

February 2023 - Court orders company behind plastic recycling scheme REDcycle be wound up after stockpile discoveries (The Guardian)

February 2023 - Your laundry sheds tiny polluting plastic fibers. Here’s what to do. (Washington Post)
Pity this never found a backer. Keep Laundry Microfibres Out of Natural Waters.

February 2023 - A newly developed catalyst makes single-use plastics easier to upcycle, recycle and biodegrade (Phys.org)

February 2023 - Which Countries Pollute the Most Ocean Plastic Waste? (Visual Capitalist)

February 2023 - Samsung unveils ambitious washing machine that will change the home laundry game: ‘There was no standard’ (TCD)

February 2023 - A New, Stronger and Recyclable Plastic (SciTechDaily)

February 2023 - Single-use face masks get new life thanks to Regina engineer (CBC)

February 2023 - 7 Ingenious Reuses for Plastic Containers (howstuffworks)

February 2023 - Exposure to High Levels of Plastic Compounds May Increase Diabetes Risk by 63%, New Study Finds (Eating Well)

February 2023 - 'Flash Joule' technique efficiently turns would-be pollution into valuable nanomaterials (Phys.org)

February 2023 - 50 years ago, scientists discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (Science News)

February 2023 - Dead fish, chemical smells and headaches: The fallout from Ohio’s toxic train disaster (EuroNews)

February 2023 - Tracking ocean microplastics from space (Alfred Wegener Institute / Phys.org)

February 2023 - Plastic debris in the Arctic comes from all around the world (Phys.org)

February 2023 - Recycleye grabs $17M, calling plastic crisis a ‘tremendous business opportunity’ (TechCrunch)

February 2023 - Microplastics can be in oysters you eat — and hard to flush out, Citadel researchers find (The Post and Courier)

February 2023 - Microplastics Are Filling the Skies. Will They Affect the Climate? (Yale Environment 360)

February 2023 - The world is creating more single-use plastic waste than ever, report finds (CNN Business)

January 2023 - Easily Recyclable and Compostable – A New Plastic With Excellent Mechanical Stability (SciTech Daily)

January 2023 - Save Sundarbans from plastic pollution (The Daily Star)
Microplastics ingested by fish and humans posing serious health risks

January 2023 - Wave of plastic pellets washed ashore in France an 'irreversible' problem, says activist (CBC)
Millions of tiny 'nurdles' are flooding beaches, making for an 'environmental nightmare'

January 2023 - Is plastic recycling a scam? Here’s the truth about the common practice (Inverse)
Only 5% of post-consumer plastic in the U.S. is recycled.

January 2023 - Nanoplastics unexpectedly produce reactive oxidizing species when exposed to light (Phys.org)
When exposed to light, the nanoplastics derived from polystyrene unexpectedly facilitated the oxidation of aqueous manganese ions and the formation of manganese oxide solids that can affect the fate and transport of organic contaminants in natural and engineering water systems.

January 2023 - Bacteria Can Use Plastic Waste as a Food Source, Which Isn't as Good as It Sounds (Science Alert)
Experiments in the lab have now shown that a species of marine bacterium, known as Rhodococcus ruber, can slowly break down and digest plastic made from polyethylene (PE).
Now that we unintentionally created a bateria that eats plastic, what are the consequences for critical infrastructure made from plastic?

January 2023 - Samsung’s new washing systems can help cut microplastic emissions by up to 54% (Interesting Engineering)
So we could buy new washing machines, or somebody could have paid attention a few years ago when I said this is a problem, and here's how we can fix it, down to less than 10 microns.
Free tip for Samsung: make sure the filter is easy to access and empty (unless you're looking for an easy way to get of doing maintenance under warranty), and the contents go to landfill and not down the nearest toilet.

December 2022 - 99% Efficiency: Princeton Engineers Have Developed a New Way To Remove Microplastics From Water (SciTechDaily)

December 2022 - We must change how we think to solve the plastic waste crisis (The Hill)

December 2022 - High-efficiency water filter removes 99.9% of microplastics in 10 seconds (New Atlas)

December 2022 - 8 Clever Ways To Use Plastic Containers in Your Garden (Backyard Boss)

December 2022 - Exploring the problem of creating a plastic that is both strong and biodegradable (Phys.org)

December 2022 - Amount of microplastics on Mediterranean Sea floor triple in 20 years (New Atlas)

December 2022 - Microplastics deposited on the seafloor have tripled in 20 years (Phys.org)
Perhaps we should get serious about reducing the amount of microplastics getting to open wather and collecting it from the surface before it sinks. Never mind, it's easier to just create fictional future-dated targets and promises of action and continue use large bodies of water as garbage dumps, no matter the consequences.

December 2022 - Inside Big Plastic’s Faltering $1.5 Billion Global Cleanup Effort (Bloomberg) (long)
A different, simple, inexpensive method to remove nurdles and microplastic pollution from a beach.

December 2022 - Pacific Ocean’s Plastics Cleanup Hindered By Trade Barriers (gCaptain)

December 2022 - Why It’s So Hard to Recycle Plastic (Scientific American)

December 2022 - Plastic ‘nurdles’ stop sea urchins developing properly, study finds (The Guardian)

December 2022 - Plastics Recycling Misses the Point. Here's What We Can Try Next (CNET)

December 2022 - Our plastic ocean: infinite waste in boundless seas – in pictures (The Guardian)

December 2022 - From urinal mats to unicorns, cargo from major container spill is still washing up on B.C. shores (CBC)

November 2022 - Recycling previously unrecyclable polyvinyl chloride (Phys.org)

November 2022 - Whales ingest millions of microplastic particles a day (National Observer)

October 2022 - Micro and macro-plastics found on Cambridge bay’s shoreline (Penticton Herald)

October 2022 - House in Alberta built from more than 1M recycled plastic water bottles (Global News)

October 2022 - Thanks to a Honeycomb, We Know The Secret to The Wax Worm's Ability to Destroy Plastic (Science Alert)

October 2022 - Want to save the oceans? Stop recycling plastic (iNews)
If you put your plastic in your recycling bin, there’s a decent chance it will end up in the seas off east Asia. If you put it in landfill, it’s going nowhere

October 2022 - Quality Street axes plastic wrappers for recyclable paper (The Guardian)
Nestlé says change after 86 years will keep 2bn wrappers a year out of landfill

September 2022 - Recycling Failure (Environmental Defence)
SA report card on provincial performance on plastic waste and the faulty logic behind Canada's plastic pollution strategy
73-page report available at the link above.

September 2022 - Plastic Might Be Making You Obese (Bloomberg)
Some of these chemicals, known as “obesogens,” directly boost the production of specific cell types and fatty tissues associated with obesity. Unfortunately, these chemicals are used in many of the most basic products of modern life including plastic packaging, clothes and furniture, cosmetics, food additives, herbicides and pesticides.

September 2022 - 'trashboom' floating barrier prevents tons of plastic from ending up in oceans (Fast Company) (3-minute video)
Will not capture microplastics, but capturing large pieces of plastic and removing them from open water means they will not degrade into microplastics in the environment over time.

September 2022 - How a resilient boat made a 14 month-long journey from Newfoundland to Norway — all by itself (The Atlantic)

September 2022 - Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work (CBC)

September 2022 - NGO (Ocean Conservancy) retracts ‘waste colonialism’ report blaming Asian countries for plastic pollution (The Guardian)

September 2022 - Why plastic is building up at recycling centers and catching fire (ABC News)

September 2022 - These tiny homes are 3D printed from 100,000 recycled plastic bottles (Fast Company)

August 2022 - Canada's economy could take $139 billion hit from floods, storms, drought by 2050 (National Observer)
In 2006, the Stern Report (UK) said the cost of inaction on climate change already outweighed the cost of action. Clearly, we took that warning to heart. Not. Oddly, driving an EV costs less than a gasser, and improving the energy efficiency of buildings pays off in a few years. But, as a society, we simply don't take the initiative to save the money, or maintain a habitable planet. Like the FRAM oil filter guy used to say, 'Pay me now, or pay me later'. It's later than you think.

August 2022 - UN seeks plan to beat plastic nurdles, the tiny scourges of the oceans (The Guardian)

August 2022 - 16-year-old designed special device to help solve one of Earth’s biggest problems (AccuWeather)

August 2022 - We studied 40,000 pieces of litter to find out where it all comes from – here’s what we discovered (The Conversation)
Spoiler: almost 2/3's was plastic; 60% were packaging. For additional unsettling information, read the article.

August 2022 - ‘Incredibly promising’: the bubble barrier extracting plastic from a Dutch river (The Guardian)

August 2022 - This company is turning heaps of plastic trash into construction building blocks (CNN)

August 2022 - Human pathogens are stowaways on floating plastic (National Observer)

June 2022 - Microplastics might be entering marine food webs from the bottom up (The Conversation)

June 2022 - Floating Drones Are Swallowing Tons of Plastic Waste Before it Reaches Ocean (GoodNewsNetwork)

June 2022 - Microplastics found in freshly fallen Antarctic snow for first time (The Guardian)

May 2022 - Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work (The Atlantic)

May 2022 - When Shipping Containers Sink in the Drink (New Yorker)

May 2022 - Plastics everywhere: Microplastics permeate the globe from the oceans’ depths to the highest mountaintop — and our bodies. (The Week)

May 2022 - Little green lies: We fill our blue boxes with plastic, but hardly any gets recycled — will Ford’s new system change that? (Toronto Star)

April 2022 - Microplastics are in our bodies. How much do they harm us? (National Geographic)

March 2022 - Microplastics found in human blood for first time (The Guardian)

March 2022 - COVID face masks are a ticking plastic bomb (KNEWS)

March 2022 - ‘UN agrees to create global plastic pollution treaty (CBC)

March 2022 - Oops, cleaning the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was probably a bad idea (Vox)

February 2022 - There is no way to put a hard stop on plastic pollution in our oceans (National Observer)
We need to reduce the flow of waste plastic into the environment. All the plans and good wishes for doing something about that someday are not cutting it. Changing who we pretend is going to do the actual work isn't progress, it's a stall tactic (hello, Ontario, do you copy?) But worse, there is no plan for cleaning up the plastic pollution, and especially microplastic pollution that is already out in the environment doing damage TODAY, and the plastic pollution which will continue even after we create plastic diversion theatre. If you would like to engage on really solving the problem, please get in touch

February 2022 - Plastic pollution in oceans growing dramatically, WWF warns (DW.com)
If that headline didn't get your attention, how about this finding from the report?
"Plastic pollution affects 88% of marine species" (not in a good way). Bad news for aquaculture.

February 2022 - ‘Oil spills of our time’: experts sound alarm about plastic lost in cargo ship disasters (The Guardian)

January 2022 - Our chemical habit is choking the Earth (National Observer)

January 2022 - Plastic crisis needs binding treaty, report says (BBC)

January 2022 - Plastic Bank coalition prevents two billion bottles from ending up in oceans (edie)

January 2022 - Ocean Plastic is Destroying a Remote Nature Reserve off Norway (Maritime Executive)

January 2022 - Tiny plastic particles are polluting even the 'far corners of Earth' (National Observer)

January 2022 - Race to stop flood of microplastic fibres into the oceans (National Observer)
Again, it's great that people are finally waking up to the future damage from avoiding ever more future microplastic pollution, but who else is seriously addressing today's problem of floating microplastic pollution that is already in open water doing damage now?

January 2022 - Meet Mr Trash Wheel – and the other new devices that eat river plastic (The Guardian)

December 2021 - https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/10/22/news/plastics-are-worse-coal-climate-change-does-anyone-care (National Observer)

November 2021 - Nurdles: the worst toxic waste you’ve probably never heard of (The Guardian)

November 2021 - Why Trying to Clean Up All the Ocean Plastic Is Pointless (Gizmodo)
I disagree. We do need to 'turn off the tap' as Liboiron states. We also need to remove a significant portion of the plastic pollution in habited waters because that is what is doing damage today, not the stuff that will end up in the water 30 years from now. I chose 30 years as I can recall talking about reducing plastic waste going into open water in the early 80s, and we have made no appreciable progress on the problem since then.

October 2021 - U.S. may finally restrict plastic industry’s preferred method of ‘recycling’ (National Observer)

September 2021 - Did you know baby poo is loaded with microplastics? (National Observer)

August 2021 - [dead link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JI6B9wC-L4] How To Recycle Styrofoam And Polystyrene (7-minute video) (Business Insider)
Styro-Go Canada (mentioned in the video above)

August 2021 - How a 'trash-to-treasure' mentality can change plastic waste (World Economic Forum)

August 2021 - Tiny plastic residues threaten Atlantic and Guadeloupean oysters (The Conversation)

August 2021 - The ocean is full of tiny plastic particles. Now we can track them with satellites (Fast Company)

August 2021 - Hermit crabs are sexually attracted to plastic pollution in the ocean (EuroNews.green)

August 2021 - Plastic waste: Study finds crabs confused by chemical additive (BBC)

August 2021 - The recycling myth: Big Oil's solution for plastic waste littered with failure (Financial Post)

August 2021 - Steveston recycling plant aims to transform plastic ocean debris into useful products (CBC)

August 2021 - BeBot robot collects tiny plastic waste to clean our beaches (Designboom)

August 2021 - The recycling myth: Big Oil's plastic waste solution littered with failure (The Japan Times)

July 2021 - The secretive scrap plastic trade between Canada and the U.S. (National Observer)

July 2021 - ‘Trashy’ documentary stresses importance of cutting down on waste (KSAT.com)

July 2021 - ‘Microplastics wash out of your clothing and into the ocean. Some simple fixes could help (National Observer)
I hope to get back on this once COVID-19 is sufficiently under control that university labs can re-open.

July 2021 - Why Big Plastic wants you to worry Trudeau is taking over your recycling bin (National Observer)

July 2021 - Using plastic waste to help solve sand shortages (BBC)

July 2021 - Global Plastic Pollution is Reaching a Tipping Point: Irreversible Damage Inevitable (Nature World News)

July 2021 - Disposal facemasks a pandemic pollution (Khmer Times)

June 2021 - Plastic recycling could be more dangerous than you think (National Observer)

June 2021 - Plastic rafting: the invasive species hitching a ride on ocean litter (The Guardian)

May 2021 - Feds stand firm on toxic ruling as Big Plastic threatens lawsuit (National Observer)

May 2021 - Will Canada support a global plastic pollution treaty? (National Observer)

May 2021 - An EU Horizon 2020 project - Ultrasound tackles "invisible" nano-plastics (environmental-expert.com)

May 2021 - Canada officially tosses plastic in the 'toxic' bin (National Observer)

May 2021 - Plastic pollution: Chinese scientists identify polythene-eating bacteria (South China Morning Post)

April 2021 - Scientists find way to remove polluting microplastics with bacteria (The Guardian)

April 2021 - This 185-foot sailboat can gobble up to three tons of plastic waste per hour (MobileSyrup)

April 2021 - Why 99% of ocean plastic pollution is "missing" (Vox)

April 2021 - Earth Day 2021: Remote Islands Shed Light on the Extent of Worldwide Plastic Pollution (AZO Cleantech)

April 2021 - New technology shows us how to deal with our plastic problem (Toronto Star)

April 2021 - [blocked lin: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/press-office/press-releases/over-four-billion-plastic-particles-found-in-beach-sand-of-remot.html] Over four billion plastic particles found in beach sand of remote paradise island (Natural History Museum)

April 2021 - Microplastics in our air 'spiral the globe' in a cycle of pollution, study finds (Natural History Museum)

April 2021 - Airborne plastic pollution ‘spiralling around the globe’, study finds (The Guardian)

April 2021 - Surfers Against Sewage launches long-term plastic waste clean-up (The Guardian)

March 2021 - New fuel from plastic waste aims to replace fossil fuels in marine industry (Mining.com)

March 2021 - Plastic waste is a growing menace, and a wasted opportunity (Nikkei Asia)

March 2021 - Canada is drowning in plastic waste — and recycling won't save us (National Observer)

March 2021 - Addressing plastic pollution (Mirage News)

March 2021 - Study reports "shocking" findings of microplastics in the Arctic (Weather Network)

March 2021 - St. John's group startled by how much plastic goes to the dump (CBC)

March 2021 - The Australian government unveils plan to end plastic pollution (Inhabitat)

March 2021 - [dead link: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2021/03/16/news/proposed-bill-banning-plastic-waste-exports-misses-heart-problem-mps-told] Proposed bill banning plastic waste exports misses 'heart of the problem,' MPs told (National Observer)

March 2021 - Plastic pollution: Fairbourne child's bid to ban toys in magazines (BBC)

March 2021 - Plastic Face Masks Lead to Worsening Pollution, With 3 Million Used Every Minute! (Nature World News)

March 2021 - Microwaves could be the future for plastic recycling (National Observer)

March 2021 - On Canada's East Coast, researchers look for plastic — and a new way to do science (National Observer)

March 2021 - The backroom battle between industry, Ottawa and environmentalists over plastics regulation (National Observer)

March 2021 - Canada is drowning in plastic waste — and recycling won't save us (National Observer)

March 2021 - Recycled plastics market becoming more liquid and globalized as demand soars (S&P Global)

March 2021 - Could plastic roads make for a smoother ride? (BBC)

March 2021 - New science on microplastics suggests macro problems (Toronto Star)

February 2021 - A fluid-magnetic solution for sorting plastic waste (Tech Xplore)

February 2021 - Why collaboration in the ASEAN region is vital to tackle plastic waste in the oceans (MENAFN)

February 2021 - Where does plastic pollution go when it enters the ocean? (The Conversation UK)

February 2021 - Study points to ship hull coatings as a major source of microplastic pollution (New Atlas)

February 2021 - Plastic, plastic everywhere. How the pandemic has exacerbated pollution in Colombia and around the world. (Washington Post)

February 2021 - We Need Urgent Research to Know What Microplastics Are Doing to Us. Here's Why s (Science Alert)

February 2021 - Magnets, vacuums and plant-based nets: the new fight to clean plastic from our seas (The Guardian)

February 2021 - Why efforts to curb plastic waste are failing (GreenBiz)

February 2021 - More sustainable recycling of plastics (Phys.org)

February 2021 - Home-based recycling business hopes to make a dent in corporate plastic waste (CBC)

February 2021 - Environmental scientists cite need for studies looking into impact of microplastics (Phys.org)

February 2021 - Plastic trash can now be recycled into ultra-strong graphene (Massive Science)

February 2021 - Microplastics are everywhere. Here’s what that means for our health. (Popular Science)

February 2021 - Plastic bags are banned, recycled or trashed, depending on where in N.B. you live (CBC)

February 2021 - [dead link: https://www.dw.com/en/researchers-look-at-microplastics-inside-humans/av-56458251] Researchers look at microplastics inside humans (Deutsche Welle)

February 2021 - Alberta farmer turns ag plastic into fence posts (Western Producer)

February 2021 - Trash trap gets to work removing plastic waste from Vietnam's Red River (New Atlas)

February 2021 - Kenyan woman creates business making building blocks from plastic waste (USA Today)

February 2021 - There’s a way to end plastic pollution. Does the Hong Kong government have the will though? (South Cina Morning Post)

January 2021 - Monique Keiran: Salt sometimes comes with a pinch of microplastics (Times Colonist)

January 2021 - Microplastic fibres affect plants by impacting soil as much as drought (NewScientist)

January 2021 - Recyclable alternative to Styrofoam made from paper waste (New Atlas)

January 2021 - Atlantic fishing crews retrieve 63 tonnes of 'ghost gear' as part of new program (CTV News)

January 2021 - Researchers advance new route to chemically recyclable plastics (Phys.org)

January 2021 - Recycling single-use plastic with bacteria (ISRAEL21c)

January 2021 - Most items collected from local recycling program since 2018 dumped in landfill (Fort McMurray Today)

January 2021 - Meet the next generation turning the tide on plastic pollution (World Economic Forum)

January 2021 - Plastic Pollution Harms Ocean Bacteria That Produce 10 Percent of Earth's Oxygen (EcoWatch)

January 2021 - Sustainable Plastics: Scientists Make Versatile Polymer From Sugars in Wood (SciTechDaily)

January 2021 - Chris Packham joins fight to end UK’s 'embarrassing' plastic waste exports (The Guardian)

January 2021 - PPE Littering Is Worsening Plastic Pollution. And More Science Journal News (TheTyee)

January 2021 - New Post-Consumer Plastic Waste Recycling Plant from TOMRA and Borealis (Waste Management World)

January 2021 - Plastic petition by UK nine-year-old gains over 70k signatures in under a week (The Guardian)

January 2021 - Quispamsis Moves Forward With Banning Plastic Checkout Bags (country94)

January 2021 - Ecologic's Combination Paper-and-Plastic Eco Bottles (Core77)

January 2021 - Eliminating Microplastics in Wastewater Directly at the Source Français (Canada NewsWire)

January 2021 - Big Oil's flagship plastic waste project sinks on the Ganges (Reuters)

January 2021 - 'Loophole' will let UK continue to ship plastic waste to poorer countries (The Guardian)

January 2021 - Microplastics found in Arctic Ocean could be from clothing (The Narwhal)

January 2021 - How to turn plastic waste in your recycle bin into profit (Phys.org)

January 2021 - Trash to treasure: Maersk intensifies plastics clean-up work (TradeWinds)

January 2021 - Maersk Extends Partnership to Help Cleanup Plastic Pollution at Sea (gCaptain)

January 2021 - Canadians Crochet Mats From Plastic Bags To Help The Homeless (HuffPost Canada)

Well, one plastic pollution hit all the buttons this week
January 2021 - The Arctic Ocean Is Teeming With Microfibers From Clothes (WIRED)

January 2021 - Clothes washing linked to ‘pervasive’ plastic pollution in the Arctic (The Guardian)

January 2021 - Washing your clothes can create Arctic microplastic pollution (Phys.org)

January 2021 - They're everywhere: New study finds polyester fibres throughout the Arctic Ocean (The Conversation UK) Here's a question. What is anyone going to do about it? Here's a hint:
Keep Laundry Microfibres Out of Natural Waters

January 2021 - [dead site: https://science.thewire.in/health/study-finds-microplastics-in-human-placentas/] Study Finds Microplastics in Human Placentas (The Wire Science)

January 2021 - Why Plastic Pollution Is a Producer Responsibility (EcoWatch)

January 2021 - New catalyst converts common plastic waste into fuels and wax (New Atlas)

January 2021 - More than 63 tonnes of 'ghost gear' removed from Atlantic Ocean in 2020, Fisheries Department says (The Globe and Mail)

January 2021 - Small business gives plastic new purpose inside Edmonton garage (Global News)

January 2021 - Plastic garbage clogging Serbian dam threatens hydroelectric plant (CBC)

January 2021 - Microplastics in fish, seafood: Plastic bits highest in mussels, oysters, scallops (TODAY)

January 2021 - Have British scientists solved the problem of plastic pollution? (The Times)

January 2021 - Bali's beaches buried in tide of plastic rubbish during monsoon season (The Guardian)

January 2021 - Alberta researchers begin studying microplastics (The Globe and Mail)

December 2020 - Choices Markets eliminated plastic bags at checkout (Kelowna News)
The plastics industry was quick to fan the fears of coronavirus surviving on reusable grocery bags, despite evidence that the virus survived longer on plastic than fabric surfaces. That led to the undoing of years of progress on reducing single-use plastic waste within a couple of months. It's good to see the trend is slowly starting to allow the use of resuable bags again, and returns to sustainable practices that don't rely on single-use petrochemicals with no recycling plan in most jurisdictions.

December 2020 - How the founder of Suppli hopes to fix Toronto's takeout waste woes (National Observer)
Learn more at: https://www.mysuppli.ca/

December 2020 - Policy to reduce plastic waste is in the bag (Shine)

December 2020 - Plastic pipes are polluting drinking water systems after wildfires (Ars Technica)

December 2020 - Plastics are — by far — the main source of litter on N.L.'s beaches, audit finds (CBC)

December 2020 - New process upcycles plastic waste into a more valuable adhesive (Kelowna News)

December 2020 - It's a wrap: clingfilm alternatives to help you ditch the plastic (The Guardian)

December 2020 - Amazon generates millions of pounds of plastic waste (The Verge)

December 2020 - Amazon’s plastic waste could encircle globe 500 times, conservation group claims (Seattle Times)

December 2020 - “Plastic poop” discovery in Nova Scotia surprises hikers, but not wildlife biologist (Global News)

December 2020 - Recycled plastic is everywhere—and it’s harming the planet (Fast Company)

December 2020 - Big Oil Evaded Regulation And Plastic Pellets Kept Spilling (NPR)

December 2020 - Chisholm takes a bite out of plastic waste (Bay Today)

December 2020 - New rules to tackle ‘wild west’ of plastic waste dumped on poorer countries (The Guardian)

December 2020 - Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé named top plastic polluters in global audit of plastic waste (CBC)

December 2020 - China biodegradable plastics 'failing to solve pollution crisis' (BBC)

December 2020 - https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-us-plastic-waste-basel-1.5827340 (CBC)

November 2020 - Sunshine Coast marine plastics recycling site first of its kind in B.C. (Forbes)

November 2020 - Why the oil industry's $400 billion bet on plastics could backfire (Forbes)

October 2020 - Flash graphene rocks strategy for plastic waste. (Phys.org)

October 2020 - Fish that eat microplastics take more risks and die younger, study shows (The Guardian)

October 2020 - Microplastics in groundwater (and our drinking water) present unknown risk: Presentation at the 2020 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America (Science Daily)

October 2020 - The Ocean Cleanup's Boyan Slat shows off new shades made from ocean plastic (CNET)

October 2020 - Small plastic, big problem – how microplastics are harming the Ottawa River. (Ottawa Citizen)
Disclosure: RESTCo is working with Dr. Vermaire, who is quoted in the article, on tecnnology to remove microcplastics from open water.

October 2020 - Most plastic recycling produces low-value materials – but we've found a way to turn a common plastic into high-value molecules (Yahoo News Plus)

October 2020 - Japan to make plastic recycling mandatory for large corporate users (Kyodo News Plus)

October 2020 - All about microplastics (The Hindu)

October 2020 - If recycling plastics isn’t making sense, remake the plastics (Ars Technica)

October 2020 - Groundbreaking study finds 13.3 quadrillion plastic fibers in California’s environment (The Guardian)

October 2020 - We can finally admit that plastic recycling has been a sham all along (National Post)

October 2020 - Air pollution particles in young brains linked to Alzheimer's damage (The Guardian)

October 2020 - Industry has known for decades that most plastic just can't be recycled, says investigative journalist (CBC News)

October 2020 - Liberals' 2021 single-use plastic ban includes grocery bags, takeout containers (CBC News)

October 2020 - Canada banning plastic bags, straws, cutlery and other single-use items by the end of 2021 (CTV News)

October 2020 - Plastic pollution is a huge problem—and it’s not too late to fix it (National Geographic)

October 2020 - Solving the plastic problem: from cradle to grave, to reincarnation (Resilience)

October 2020 - A factory in Indiana is turning plastic waste into eco-friendly fuel (Business Insider)

October 2020 - The Great Lakes are awash in plastic. A new project is using trash-trapping technology to get rid of it (CBC Mews)

October 2020 - On the coast of Chile, bird nests show the scars of plastic pollution (NBC Mews)

October 2020 - Groundbreaking study finds 13.3 quadrillion plastic fibers in California’s environment (The Guardian)

October 2020 - More than 14m tonnes of plastic believed to be at the bottom of the ocean (The Guardian)

October 2020 - Countrywide single-use plastics ban aims to eliminate straws, stir sticks, bags (National Observer)

October 2020 - Have you been sold a lie about [plastic] recycling? (The Big Story - 29 minute podcast)

October 2020 - The Great Lakes are awash in plastic. A new project is using trash-trapping technology to get rid of it (CBC News)

September 2020 - More Synthetic Microfibers Now End up on Land Than in Water (Treehugger)
But here's the catch. After the sludge is put on the field, with time it washes out to ditches and creeks, then rivers, lakes and oceans with rainfalls, and spring melt run-off. It still ends up in the water. I'm all for devices to capture microfibres that actually work. That's why I built the prototype for this one.
https://contest.techbriefs.com/2020/entries/sustainable-technologies-future-energy/10412.

September 2020 - New technology aims to keep Styrofoam out of Quebec landfills (CTV News)

September 2020 - Engineered "super-enzyme" gobbles plastic waste at six times the speed (New Atlas)

September 2020 - Evaluating scenarios toward zero plastic pollution (Science Magazine)

September 2020 - This recycling giant just took a big step in the race to find the coffee cup of the future (Yahoo Canada Finance)

September 2020 - Wild swimmer falls ill after testing water for microplastic pollution in national parks (The Telegraph)

September 2020 - Plastic pollution increasingly clogging N.L. coastlines, decades of data show (CBC News)

September 2020 - Targeting Rivers To Keep Plastic Pollution Out Of The Ocean (Hackaday)

September 2020 - The World’s Worst Companies For Plastic Waste Pollution [Infographic] (Forbes)

September 2020 - Recycling isn’t enough — the world’s plastic pollution crisis is only getting worse (The Conversation)
There are solutions.
Fixing Plastic Pollution - Things That Do Work

September 2020 - Plastic pollution: Washed clothing's synthetic mountain of 'fluff' (BBC News)
There's a solution, if anyone cares: Keep laundry microfibres out of natural waters
Disclosure: my invention.

September 2020 - Device to curb microplastic emissions wins James Dyson award (The Guardian)

September 2020 - Most plastic will never be recycled – and the manufacturers couldn’t care less (The Guardian)

September 2020 - The Plastics Industry Has Been Lying About Recycling For Decades (BuzzFeed)

September 2020 - Microplastic's role in antibiotic resistance (Science Magazine)

September 2020 - How we got conned into drinking bottled water - and how we can stop (Huffington Post)

September 2020 - Curing the plastic pollution pandemic (Corporate Knights Magazine)

September 2020 - 'War on plastic' could strand oil industry's £300bn investment (The Guardian)

September 2020 - New York’s plastic bag ban survived the pandemic (National Observer)

September 2020 - Microplastic pollution devastating soil species (National Observer)

August 2020 - WEF Brief Explores Opportunities for Circular Plastics Economy (IISD)

August 2020 - Economic meltdown threatens Europe’s war on plastic (Globe & Mail)

August 2020 - Microplastics have moved into virtually every crevice on Earth (National Geographic)

August 2020 - Maldives records highest level of micro plastic pollution on the planet (Phys.org)

August 2020 - Should Governments Slap a Tax on Plastic? (Wired)

August 2020 - Floating booms could only clean up 5% of plastic on the ocean surface (New Atlas)

August 2020 - Can we kill plastic? (C|NET)

August 2020 - WA man fills void left by lack of kerbside recycling and founds plastics repurposing company (Australian Broadcasting)

August 2020 - This California highway is now paved with plastic (Fast Company)

August 2020 - Resurgence of single-use plastics amid coronavirus crisis has environmentalists worried (CBS)

August 2020 - This ‘solution’ to the plastic crisis is really just another way to burn fossil fuels (Grist)

July 2020 - UK gets its first road made partially from plastic (Electrek)

July 2020 - Plastic Flow Into Ocean Expected to Triple by 2040, But Action Could Stem Tide More Than 80% (SciTechDaily)

July 2020 - Use of plastic bags in England drops by 59% in a year (The Guardian)

July 2020 - 'It gives you a sense of pride': what four people learned from quitting plastic for a month (The Guardian)

July 2020 - 15 products that prove going eco-friendly can be simple and affordable (Today)

July 2020 - Study: Microplastic Pollution Harms Lobster Larvae (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences)

July 2020 - Plastic You Put in Recycling Bin May End Up in Asian Waters (SciTechDaily)

July 2020 - Single-use plastic bags all but disappear from P.E.I.'s waste system in 1st year of ban (CBC News)

July 2020 - Japan begins charging for plastic bags (Bangkok Post)

July 2020 - Not just for food: How to reuse plastic takeaway containers in the home and garden (The Irish Times)

June 2020 - Biggest Open Ocean Clean-up Ever! 103 tons of plastic removed from open water (Ocean Voyages Institute)

June 2020 - Ocean Plastics: The Ecological Disaster of Our Time (IDiveBlue)

June 2020 - Washing machines' microplastic filters 'untested' (BBC News)

June 2020 - Why the pandemic could slash the amount of plastic waste we recycle (The Conversation)

June 2020 - The many lifetimes of plastics (Phys.Org)

June 2020 - Plastic superhighway: the awful truth of our hidden ocean waste (The Guardian)

June 2020 - That Fresh Sea Breeze You Breathe May Be Laced With Microplastic (Wired)

June 2020 - Extraordinary Ocean Creatures Use Mucus to Help Remove Carbon and Microplastics (EcoWatch)

May 2020 - Tired of Plastic? These Businesses Have Ideas for You (New York Times)

May 2020 - Tired of Plastic? These Businesses Have Ideas for You (New York Times)

May 2020 - The Recycling Dilemma: Good Plastic, Bad plastic? (EcoWatch)

May 2020 - Polystyrene-digesting worm could help solve plastic pollution problem (E&T Magazine)

May 2020 - Earth Today | New plastics pollution control project coming for Jamaica (Jamaica Gleaner)

May 2020 - Microplastic pollution in oceans vastly underestimated – study (The Guardian)

May 2020 - We may have missed half the microplastics in the ocean (New Scientist)

May 2020 - Are we underestimating microplastics in the marine environment? (Phys.org)

May 2020 - Study finds microplastics in Florida's birds of prey for first time (Phys.org)

May 2020 - Minneapolis-based Yardbird raised $4.4 million for furniture made from recycled ocean-bound plastic (TechCrunch)

May 2020 - Hoovering the ocean: Plastic pollution threatens marine life, humans and ecosystems (Seattle Times)

May 2020 - Plastic recycling is broken. Why does Big Plastic want cities to get $1 billion to fix it? (Grist)

May 2020 - Plastic that doesn't cost the Earth (physicsworld)

May 2020 - Caddis fly larvae are now building shelters out of microplastics (Ars Technica)

May 2020 - Plastic menace: More than 80 per cent of seabird nests on a remote Scottish island are found to contain packaging and other debris (Daily Mail)

May 2020 - PADI is making face masks from recycled ocean plastic (Inhabitat)

May 2020 - Avoid, track, recycle: solutions to the problem of plastic waste (physicsworld.com)

April 2020 - Highest ever concentration of microplastics found on sea floor (CNN)

April 2020 - Microplastics disrupt hermit crabs' ability to choose shell, study suggests (The Guardian)

April 2020 - What's Gone Wrong With Plastic Recycling (Consumer Reports)

April 2020 - Scientists Identify 1.9 Million Pieces of Microplastic in Square Meter of Ocean Floor (Newsweek)

April 2020 - Microplastics: New ocean-friendly alternative inspired by spiders (Sky News)

April 2020 - Recycling won't be accepted if it contains plastic bags as of June 1 (CBC News)

April 2020 - Scientists develop first 3-D mass estimate of microplastic pollution in Lake Erie (Phys.org)

April 2020 - Plastic pollution: why chemical recycling could provide a solution (The Conversation)

April 2020 - Ocean plastic was choking Chile’s shores. Now it’s in Patagonia’s hats (The Guardian)

April 2020 - Adidas show made from recycled ocean plastic (Good)

April 2020 - The tire industry pushes back against evidence of plastic pollution (AutoBlog)

March 2020 - How Big Plastic Is Using Coronavirus to Bring Back Wasteful Bags (Mother Jones)

March 2020 - The Plastic-Hunting Pirates of the Cornish Coast (New York Times)

March 2020 - Microplastic fibers linked to respiratory, reproductive changes in fish (Phys.org)

March 2020 - How much plastic actually gets recycled? (LiveScience)

March 2020 - What If Nestlé and Coke Had to Clean up Their Own Plastic Pollution? (EcoWatch)

March 2020 - Plastic Pollution May Be Spreading Antibiotic Resistance (Hakai Magazine)

March 2020 - Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, P&G, and Nestle Sued Over Creating Plastic Waste and Destroying the Planet (One Green Planet)

March 2020 - An Environmental Group Are Suing Coke And Pepsi Over Plastic Pollution (IFL Science)

March 2020 - These plastic-chomping caterpillars can help fight pollution (CTV News)
Before you declare the problem solved, note this sentence from the article:
"One issue could be how to handle the toxic substance the caterpillars excrete when they are fed plastic."

March 2020 - Designing plastic to break down in the ocean is possible, but is it practical? (Phys.org)
As I read this article, the idea is that we could design plastics so they would break down from being large pieces of plastic (e.g. a water bottle) into microplastics more quickly. It isn't about actually biodegrading the physical plastic into constiutent elements.

March 2020 - Hellmann’s mayonnaise jars made from 100 per cent recycled plastic to hit the shelves in March (Toronto Star)

March 2020 - Students spend weekend 'hacking' plastics at Waterloo event (CBC News)

March 2020 - Saskatoon 3D print shop creating solution for plastic waste (Global News)

February 2020 - McDonald's waste cooking oil converted into 3D print resin by Canadian professor (Dished Vancouver)

February 2020 - Plastic waste in oceans ‘the canary in the coalmine’, professor says (Express & Star)

February 2020 - The hidden plastic pollution on our beaches (BBC News)
1-minute video is the core of this news item.
Note that the plastic in the video FLOATS on water.
This is a problem we CAN clean up, including microplastics.
Deplasticizing the Ocean (including shoreline clean-up) by RESTCo
Demonstrating the filter fabric removing plastic from gravel using simple flotation by RESTCo

March 2020 - Plastic pollution: Snowdon research is a 'wake-up call' (The Guardian)

February 2020 - America’s 'recycled' plastic waste is clogging landfills, survey finds (BBC News)

February 2020 - Circular Claims Fall Flat:Comprehensive U.S. Survey of Plastics Recyclability (Greenpeace USA)
From the executive summary of the 36 page report: "Most types of plastic packaging are economically impossible to recycle now and will remain so in the foreseeable future. Companies must move beyond the outdated, failed approach of promoting recycling as the solution to excessive plastic waste and pollution. Furthermore, few U.S. cities have industrial composting facilities5 required to treat compostable plastics and many compost facility operators don’t want compostable plastics.6 We cannot recycle or compost our way out of the growing plastic pollution problem. Instead of pretending that the trillions of throwaway plastic items produced each year will be recycled or composted, we must stop producing so many of them in the first place. To meet their “recyclable, reusable or compostable” pledge commitments, companies must become serious about employing reusable/refillable business models."

February 2020 - Brantford company gets $1M to cut plastic waste (The Brantford Expositor)

February 2020 - In Norway, bottles made of plastic are still fantastic (Bangkok Post)

Note to those who want to use 'market solutions' to fix the plastic pollution issue. Paying people to solve the problem actually works. Duh! Support deposit-return systems instead of industry-greenwash, taxpayer-funded municipal recycling systems. Then, buy products made from recycled plastic to ensure there is a market for the recuperated materials.

February 2020 - 3D Printers & Recycled Plastic: Can They Print Recycled Plastic? (All3DP)

February 2020 - Rules around human waste in farming are 'out of date' (BBC News)

February 2020 - Thousands of industrial plastic pellets found on banks of Delta, B.C., waterway (Global News)

February 2020 - Banning the bag a great step, but it's a speck of N.L.'s plastic pollution, says researcher (CBC News)

February 2020 - How your clothes become microfibre pollution in the sea (Phys.orgs)

It's a bit more complicated than this article makes out. If your washing machine is connected to a typical urban waste water system, your washer waste water goes to a waste water treatment plant. My research - with Carleton University faculty and a PhD candidate - we have done a literature search which shows that 98% or better of plastic pollution is trapped in the sewage sludge and does not exit with the treated effluent water. Given the volumes of plastic pollution coming in, the plastics exiting are non-trivial on a planetary basis. But the main route to the environment appears to be via the sewage sludge being put on farm fields, and then the microplastics being washed out in spring run-off and rainstorms to creeks, then rivers, lakes and oceans. We need to do more about the sewage sludge path.

As for how much material actually leaves in your washing machine's wash and rinse water, well, I have just done that experiment, and I hope Carleton University folks will do a detailed analysis on amounts and what was in the collected waste before the end of this month.

And I'm thinking about how to take those learnings to build a collection filter for household clothes washing machines. Stay tuned.

January 2020 - Microplastic pollution reduces animal life at the bottom of lakes (New Scientist)

January 2020 - Plastic pollution: 'Hidden' chemicals build up in seabirds (BBC News)

January 2020 - How to reduce plastic pollution by billions of bottles, in just one word: Refillables (Oceana)

January 2020 - Plastic ban coming in 2021 after report concludes there is evidence of harm (CTV News)

January 2020 - Microplastic pollution is everywhere, but scientists are still learning how it harms wildlife (The Conversation)

January 2020 - Plastic recycling: Australian engineers create a 'micro' solution (Aljazeera)

January 2020 - SunChips’ Failed Noisy Compostable Packaging Gets The Last Laugh (HuffPost)
Note the points raised by Tony Walker, a professor at Dalhousie University, in this article, including:
If you want to be a better environmentalist, [Walker] suggested to reuse more items and to avoid buying “biodegradable” products. It’s marketing, he said, they’re mostly made of petroleum-based plastic except they’re engineered to break down into infinitely smaller pieces of microplastics at a faster rate. These microplastics, which can be chipped down to the size of plankton, can get into waterways and risk being consumed by humans or marine animals.

January 2020 - The first step in managing plastic waste is measuring it – here's how we did it for one Caribbean country (The Conversation)

January 2020 - The plastics problem: Cayman contends with a regional menace (Cayman Compass)

January 2020 - Plastic pollution entangles marine life (Cayman Compass)

January 2020 - Caribbean governments legislate to restrict plastics (Cayman Compass)

January 2020 - The war on plastic won’t be easily won (The Guardian)

January 2020 - The solution to the plastic waste crisis? It isn’t recycling (The Guardian)

January 2020 - When recycling fails, how will we deal with the tonnes of plastic waste we produce? (GC)

January 2020 - Microplastics are Everywhere, but Their Health Effects on Humans are Still Unclear (Discover Magazine)

January 2020 - Majority of plastic recyclables in Halifax being turned into synthetic lumber (CBC News)

January 2020 - Welcome to Hawaii's 'plastic beach', one of the world's dirtiest places (The Guardian)

January 2020 - PSA: biodegradable plastic isn't compostable or recyclable (The Loop)

January 2020 - What really happens to plastic drink bottles you toss in your recycling bin (CBC News)

January 2020 - Student researchers make dismaying microplastics find in the Arctic Ocean (Phys.org)

January 2020 - Plastics Industry’s Greenwashing Aggravates Environmental and Health Crises (TruthOut)

December 2019 - The missing 99%: why can't we find the vast majority of ocean plastic? (The Guardian)

December 2019 - This is exactly how much plastic you eat each week—and how to avoid it (Well+Good)
"A recent study commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund found that humans consume about a credit card’s worth of plastic each week."

December 2019 - Revealed: microplastic pollution is raining down on city dwellers (The Guardian)

December 2019 - Ecocept recycled plastic waste sports turf a winner for Sikh temple (Radio New Zealand)

December 2019 - 5 incredible things scientists can make out of plastic waste (New Atlas)

December 2019 - Op-ed: Yes, food is grown in sewage waste. That’s a problem. (Environmental Health Network)

December 2019 - 2019 Is the Year Humanity Declared War on Microplastics (WORED)

December 2019 - The Plastics Pipeline: A Surge of New Production Is on the Way (Yale Environment 360)

December 2019 - Exposed: A scientific stalemate leaves our hormones and health at risk (Environmental Health News)

December 2019 - Plastic pollution kills half a million hermit crabs on remote islands (The Guardian)

December 2019 - There's Literally a Million Times More Microplastic in Our Oceans Than We Realized (Gizmodo)

November 2019 - New Zealand airline trials edible coffee cups (thejournal.ie)

November 2019 - Four technologies tackling the problem of plastic pollution in rivers (Dezeen)

November 2019 - Microplastics found in all remote Arctic beluga whales tested: study (Toronto Star)

November 2019 - Company transforms plastic trash into innovative items (CBC News)

November 2019 - Two types of plastic pollution found in Mediterranean for first time (NewScientist)

November 2019 - Growing patch of garbage on Pacific Ocean endangering seabirds (Global News)

November 2019 - Air bubble barrier traps plastic waste in Amsterdam's canals (The Guardian)

November 2019 - Here’s What Really Happens to Recycled Plastic (Reader's Digest)

November 2019 - Simulated sunlight reveals how 98% of plastics at sea go missing each year (Phys.org)

November 2019 - Growing patch of garbage on Pacific Ocean endangering seabirds (Global News)

October 2019 - Deposits double for many drinks in British Columbia (Resource Recycling)

October 2019 - Why does the Arctic have more plastic than most places on Earth? (National Geographic)

October 2019 - New Factory That Uses Enzymes to Recycle All Plastics At Once Has the Backing of Major Corporations (Good News Network)

October 2019 - How to find the microplastics in your seafood (Verge Science [YouTube video 7 minutes 18 seconds])

October 2019 - Study co-authored by Halifax biologist suggests cargo ships dumping plastic litter (National Observer)

October 2019 - China's Ban on Importing World Waste Has Caused a Major Bottleneck in Global Recycling (One Green Planet)
It really is time that the western industrialized world acted like adults and cleaned up after themselves instead of relying on others to pick up after them.

October 2019 - Backstory: Mapping the world's growing plastic mountain, one bottle at a time (Reuters)

October 2019 - Tire dust is a major source of microplastics in coastal waters (Autoblog)

October 2019 - Hundreds of thousands of plastic pellets washing up on B.C. shores: environmental group (CityNews Vancouver)

October 2019 - Industrial plastic pellets spilling into Fraser River, Salish Sea: environmental group (Global News)

October 2019 - In the War Against Plastic, America Is a Big Danger (Bloomberg)

October 2019 - Microplastics may affect how Arctic sea ice forms and melts (Arctic Today)

October 2019 - Chinese cargo vessels produce most plastic garbage floating in Atlantic ocean, study finds (The National Post)

October 2019 - 'Everywhere we looked': trillions of microplastics found in San Francisco bay (The Guardian)

October 2019 - [dead link: https://time.com/5691990/ocean-cleaning-device-netherlands-pacific-ocean/] Ocean Cleaning Device Starts Collecting Plastic in Pacific Ocean (Time)
Given that booms are not very effective at containing oil or small floating items in waves or windy conditions, I remain concerned that the amount of material which will escape this device puts the value of the millions of dollars invested so far into question.

October 2019 - The massive plastic-cleaning device invented by a 25-year-old is finally catching trash in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (Business Insider)
Note the article says the system is catching appreciable amounts of microplastics, which proves that a more effective device designed to capture microplastics could be deployed to good advantage on our oceans and large fresh water bodies.

September 2019 - Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup (CBC)

September 2019 - Here is a global solution to the plastic waste crisis - and A$443 million to get it started (The Conversation)

September 2019 - Microplastics may affect how Arctic sea ice forms and melts (The Conversation)

September 2019 - Stratford company doing it’s part to keep plastics out of landfills (Blackburn News)

September 2019 - Plastic bottle return scheme to 'put value back into recycling' (RNZ)

September 2019 - Over 1000 Kg Plastic Waste Found At Goa Beach During Cleanup Drive (NDTV)

September 2019 - McKenna declares war on plastic, opponents say climate policies have failed (CTV News)

September 2019 - The ocean's plastic problem is closer to home than scientists first thought (Phys.Org)

September 2019 - Plastic recycling: a guide to the myths and realities (The Guardian)

September 2019 - Microplastics in the Great Lakes: Becoming benthic (Phys.Org)

September 2019 - How can we keep takeout containers out of the trash? This restaurateur has a tasty idea (CBC)

September 2019 - Scaling back: graduate invents plastic alternative from fish waste (The Guardian)

September 2019 - Microplastics in Fresh Water Are Mostly Laundry Lint (Scientific American)

September 2019 - Most ambitious US law to tackle single-use plastics faces make-or-break moment (The Guardian)

September 2019 - Citizen science could help address Canada’s plastic pollution problem (The Conversation)

September 2019 - Drowning in plastic (Reuters)

September 2019 - Coquitlam Styrofoam recycler blames Metro Van for closure (TriCity News)

September 2019 - Why Can’t Coffee Cups Be Recycled? These Photos Show The Real Reason (HuffPost Canada)

August 2019 - Americans consume some 70,000 microplastic particles a year (Science News for Students)
From the abstract of the paper in Environmental Science and Technology:
Abstract
Microplastics are ubiquitous across ecosystems, yet the exposure risk to humans is unresolved. Focusing on the American diet, we evaluated the number of microplastic particles in commonly consumed foods in relation to their recommended daily intake. The potential for microplastic inhalation and how the source of drinking water may affect microplastic consumption were also explored. Our analysis used 402 data points from 26 studies, which represents over 3600 processed samples. Evaluating approximately 15% of Americans’ caloric intake, we estimate that annual microplastics consumption ranges from 39000 to 52000 particles depending on age and sex. These estimates increase to 74000 and 121000 when inhalation is considered. Additionally, individuals who meet their recommended water intake through only bottled sources may be ingesting an additional 90000 microplastics annually, compared to 4000 microplastics for those who consume only tap water. These estimates are subject to large amounts of variation; however, given methodological and data limitations, these values are likely underestimates.
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.9b01517

August 2019 - How the plastic bottle went from miracle container to hated garbage (National Geographic)

August 2019 - Virgin plastic pellets are the biggest pollution disaster you’ve never heard of (Quartz)

August 2019 - 'Extreme' amount of microplastics discovered in the North Atlantic (CNN - 4 minute video)

August 2019 - Arctic sea ice loaded with microplastics (Phys.org)

August 2019 - The Demand for Luxury Shellfish is Polluting the Ocean with Plastic (The Conversation)

August 2019 - It's raining plastic: microscopic fibers fall from the sky in Rocky Mountains (The Guardian)

August 2019 - 'Plastic recycling is a myth': what really happens to your rubbish? (The Guardian)

August 2019 - Recycling industry calls for dollars and action after decision to end exports (The Guardian)

August 2019 - From dumpster to diesel: How a pilot project in Whitby is turning plastic waste into fuel (CBC)

August 2019 - "I don't believe we're going to clean up the oceans" says Parley for the Oceans founder Cyrill Gutsch (Dezeen)

August 2019 - B.C. Ferries sends robot submarine to find plastic pollution from cable ferry (Vancouver Sun)

August 2019 - Avoiding Plastic Is Hard. Here's How 9 People Aim For Progress, Not Perfection (mbgplanet)

August 2019 - [dead link: https://www.desmogblog.com/2019/08/02/wanhua-plastic-complex-st-james-louisiana-delayed"] New Concerns Raised by Opponents Delay Wanhua’s $1.25 Billion Plastic Complex in Louisiana (DESMOG)

August 2019 - Patagonia's Latest Black Hole Bags Were Made from Recycling 10 Million Plastic Bottles (HypeBeast)

August 2019 - Freshwater is getting neglected when it comes to plastic pollution research (Environmental Health News)

August 2019 - Freshwater is getting neglected when it comes to plastic pollution research (Environmental Health News)

July 2019 - Paddling in plastic: meet the man swimming the Pacific garbage patch (The Guardian)

July 2019 - Less Trash, More Schools — One Plastic Brick at a Time (New York Times)

July 2019 - Award for teen Titan who may rid sea of microplastics (Irish Examiner)

July 2019 - Waste Only - How the Plastics Industry Is Fighting to Keep Polluting the World (The Intercept)

July 2019 - As plastics foul the world’s oceans, world leaders struggle over how to respond (Washington Post)

July 2019 - Burnside parking lot partially paved with plastic (CBC News)

July 2019 - Plastics recycler frustrated by government disinterest (Brockville Recorder & Times)

July 2019 - City of Brandon stops recycling a certain type of plastic (Global News)

July 2019 - The Plastics Backlash has Some Oil Giants Worried (Rigzone)

July 2019 - This Hurricane Proof House Made From 612,000 Recycled Plastic Bottles Can Withstand 326 MPH Winds (Gizmodo)

July 2019 - Are washing machines to blame for Auckland's microplastic scourge? (New Zealand Herald)

July 2019 - Micro-plastics are entering the human body and are dangerous to human health (FirstPost)

July 2019 - [dead link: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2019/07/03/features/plastic-free-cup-could-solve-coffee-industrys-waste-problem] A plastic-free cup could solve the coffee industry's waste problem (National Observer)

July 2019 - Japan faces an uphill battle to reduce plastic consumption (Japan Times)

July 2019 - How Remote Lakes Could Help Unravel the Mysteries of Microplastic (Wired)

July 2019 - US produces far more waste and recycles far less of it than other developed countries. (The Guardian)

July 2019 - P.E.I. becomes the first province to ban plastic bags (CTV News)

July 2019 - https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/02/greek-fishermen-paid-to-collect-rubbish-caught-from-the-sea-for-recycling (Euro News)

July 2019 - Environmentalists removed more than 40 tons of trash from the Pacific -- and it barely made a dent (CNN)

July 2019 - Drowning in a sea of plastic (Bangkok Post)

June 2019 - Microplastic pollution and wet wipe ‘reefs’ are changing the River Thames ecosystem (The Conversation)

June 2019 - Provinces agree on national zero plastic waste plan (The Star)
This isn't a plan. It's a fantasy wish list, and an incomplete list of action items. Already 3 provinces have expressed oppostion to even this sketch of a framework. So, contrary to the headline; not a plan and the provinces don't agree.

June 2019 - Bird spotted feeding chick cigarette butt in 'heartbreaking' image (The Mirror)
Most cigarette filters are made primarily of cellulose acetate - a plastic - so essentially indestructible in the environment.

June 2019 - ‘Red carpet of pollution’ laid out for environment ministers’ meetings in Halifax (Global News)

June 2019 - This house was built using 600,000 recycled plastic bottles (CBC News)

June 2019 - P.E.I. businesses getting ready to switch out plastic bags (CBC News)

June 2019 - [dead link: https://time.com/5614452/plastic-waste-japan-envrionment-packaging-recycling/] Japan, a Big Plastic User, Fights Waste Ahead of the G-20 Summit (Time)

June 2019 - Plastic waste is choking India: Monetary incentives to waste pickers and an environmental tax on plastics can stem the problem (The Times of India)

June 2019 - Marine biologist offers Montreal festivals an alternative to single-use water bottles (CBC News)

June 2019 - These corals choose to eat plastic over food (National Geographic)

June 2019 - [dead link: https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/plastic-trash-is-evolving-into-new-types-of-rocks-plasticrust-plastiglomerate] Plastic trash is evolving into new types of rocks (Weather Network)

June 2019 - The North Face and National Geographic are making clothes from plastic water bottles (Treehugger)

June 2019 - Ocean Voyages Institute Removes 40 Tons of Plastic, including5-Ton Ghost Net (Ocean Voyages Institute)

June 2019 - Never gonna give you up: how plastic seduced America (The Guardian)

June 2019 - Great Pacific garbage patch: giant plastic trap put to sea again (The Guardian)

June 2019 - This giant vacuum is designed to suck up plastic from the beach (Fast Company)

June 2019 - [dead link: https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/plastic-pollution-is-contributing-to-climate-change-greenhouse-gas] How plastic pollution is contributing to climate change (Weather Network)

June 2019 - 7 ways for cities to slash plastic pollution (GreenBiz)

June 2019 - Plastic waste as a resource, how design can shape intelligent (re)use (Lifegate)

June 2019 - Trash Printer Directly Uses Recycled Plastics (Hackaday)

June 2019 - River Mersey is more polluted than the 'great Pacific garbage patch' as study shows every river in the UK contains microplastic (Daily Mail)

June 2019 - Plastic waste swamping UK rivers, with one waterway more polluted than Great Pacific Garbage Patch, report says (The Independent)

June 2019 - We know plastic is harming our oceans… but what is it doing to our health? (The Telegraph)

June 2019 - Reimagining Plastic: Turning Waste into Products (Aljazeera)

June 2019 - Plastic pollution and the climate crisis are symptoms of the same disease (CBC News)

June 2019 - Where does your plastic go? Global investigation reveals America's dirty secret ? (The Guardian)

June 2019 - Microplastics have spread right to the sea bed, study finds (World Economic Forum)

June 2019 - Is that my plastic bag in the Mariana Trench? (Maclean's)

June 2019 - Expanding bottle deposits would divert 118,000 tonnes from Ontario landfills, study says (The Star)

June 2019 - A simple online system that could end plastic pollution (BBC)

June 2019 - How Plastic Bottles Are Paying For School In Nigeria (NDTV)

June 2019 - The massive plastic-cleaning device in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch probably won't hurt sea creatures — but there's still a big problem to sort out (Business Insider)

June 2019 - Average person swallows plastic equivalent to a credit card every week, report finds (The Telegraph)

June 2019 - As more developing countries reject plastic waste exports, wealthy nations seek solutions at home (GreenBiz)

June 2019 - The world's plastic pollution crisis explained (National Geographic)

June 2019 - Fines, jail time and education: How other nations deal with plastic waste (The Star - Vancouver)

June 2019 - Mediterranean plastic pollution hotspots highlighted in report (BBC News)

June 2019 - More plastic pollution is swirling in the deep ocean than in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a new study has found (Business Insider)

June 2019 - We Were Missing Most of the Plastic in the Ocean (The Atlantic)

June 2019 - Here’s how much plastic you might be eating every day (Global News)

June 2019 - NREL scientists have a plan to fight ocean plastic: Upcycle it into something valuable (Colorado Sun)

June 2019 - People eat at least 50,000 plastic particles a year, study finds (The Gurardian)

June 2019 - Plastic producers urged to take responsibility for "nurdle" pollution (New Scientist)

June 2019 - The Backlash to Plastic Has Oil Companies Worried (Bloomberg)

June 2019 - Improving Canada's recycling output will take 'radical changes': report (CTV News)

June 2019 - Scary Facts About Plastic Pollution That'll Make You Rethink Your Habits (India Times)

June 2019 - Elise Stolte: Recycling as we know it failed. Edmonton seeks new approach before reinvesting (Edmonton Journal)

June 2019 - Plastic pollution in Severn estuary a 'crying shame' (BBC News)

June 2019 - Research group finds way to turn plastic waste products into jet fuel (Phys.Org)

June 2019 - Plastic industry major economic driver in Canada — far greater than recycling: report (Global News)

June 2019 - Parley for the Oceans finds large amount of plastic along prime city beach (CBC)

June 2019 - Plastic bags will now be accepted at New Brunswick redemption centres (CBC)

June 2019 - Moncton moves to restrict distribution of single-use plastic bags (CBC)

June 2019 - Poland Spring to use 100% recycled plastic for bottles (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

June 2019 - Wooden beer bottles and paper straws -- Japan shifts from plastic (Nikkei Asian Review)

June 2019 - New styrofoam densifier introduces new way to recycle (Blackburn News)

May 2019 - Good Job, Humans: Bees Are Making Nests Entirely Out of Plastic (Vice)

May 2019 - Plastic poisons ocean bacteria propping up the marine food chain (Phys.Org)

May 2019 - What Adidas and Parley are doing for the oceans (TreeHugger)

May 2019 - Ford recycles 1.2 billion plastic bottles a year for auto parts (CNBC)

May 2019 - We're All Recycling Wrong, So Companies Are Finally Trying To Make It Easier (Huffington Post)
Yes, we have used Trex plastic composite deck boards, and are very pleased with them.

May 2019 - [dead link: http://www.newstrib.com/news/can-we-save-recycling/article_b5dd66d8-8184-11e9-b262-c37e8e1e733f.html] ‘Can we save recycling?’ (News Tribune)

May 2019 - This reusable mug is made from recycled coffee cups (Fast Company)

May 2019 - New Indiana plant could have your trucks and tractors running on plastic bottles, bags and toys (Indianapolis Star)

May 2019 - [dead link: http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/disposable-plastic-banned-from-2021/49605] Disposable plastic banned from 2021 (The Portugal News)

May 2019 - Sperm counts are on the decline – could plastics be to blame? (The Guardian)

May 2019 - A Norwegian Tech Company Is Solving the Plastic Recycling Crisis (Barron's)

May 2019 - Students Invent Bacteria That Eat Plastic From The Oceans And Turn It Into Water (Blogspot)

May 2019 - Humanity Is Drowning in Plastic (Jacobin)

May 2019 - B.C. VIEWS: Reality of our plastic recycling routine exposed (Jacobin)

May 2019 - City's recycling cost to increase after too much 'crap' put into bins (Winnipeg Free Press)

May 2019 - Sweeping New Report on Global Environmental Impact of Plastics Reveals Severe Damage to Climate (CIEL)

May 2019 - Plastic Pollution Harms Ocean Bacteria That Produce 10 Percent of Earth's Oxygen (EcoWatch)

May 2019 - 414 million pieces of plastic found on remote island group in Indian Ocean (The Guardian)

May 2019 - Producers could soon foot the bill for recycling costs in Ontario (Kitchener Today)

May 2019 - Reduce, reuse, recycle, rejected: Why Canada’s recycling industry is in crisis mode (Globe & Mail)

May 2019 - These Three Plastic Recycling Myths Will Blow Your Mind (Forbes)

May 2019 - The hidden army of volunteers putting Britain's politicians to shame by recycling the rubbish councils send straight to landfill (The Independent)

May 2019 - City of Calgary considers municipal role on single-use plastics (Global News)

May 2019 - Greenpeace Slams Tim Hortons' New Recyclable Coffee Lids (Vice)

May 2019 - Tiny towns on B.C.'s West Coast may be first in province to ban plastic straws (CTV)

May 2019 - IKEA Canada has officially phased out all single-use plastic straws (Daily Hive)

May 2019 - Increasing deposit fees may not be answer to improving recycling; Return-it CEO (CityNews 1130)
Curiously, the article content doesn't actually support the headline.

April 2019 - [dead link: https://www.technologytimes.pk/aspergillus-bio-remediation-plastic/] Aspergillus tubingensis: a bio-remediation of Plastic (Technology Times)

April 2019 - Niagara-On-The-Lake councillor to broach plastic waste issue (Niagara Falls Review)

April 2019 - Early ocean plastic litter traced to 1960s (BBC)

April 2019 - Activists Deliver Giant Trash Monsters to Nestlé Headquarters to Protest Plastic Pollution (Gizmodo)

April 2019 - Sea sick: Plastic garbage in the North Atlantic Ocean skyrocketing (USA Today)

April 2019 - What's happened to all the plastic rubbish in the Indian Ocean? (Phys.org)

April 2019 - There’s no ‘garbage patch’ in the Southern Indian Ocean, so where does all the rubbish go? (The Conversation)

April 2019 - Morgan Stanley Seeks to Finance Global Cleanup of Plastic Trash (Bloomberg)

April 2019 - Alarm as study shows how microplastics are blown across the world (The Guardian)

April 2019 - Microplastics are being glued together in the ocean by bacteria making them big enough to see with the naked eye, scientists find (The Telegraph)

April 2019 - B.C.'s Maritime Museum highlights shame of Great Pacific Garbage Patch (CBC)

April 2019 - Chevron Phillips to report plastic pellet spills, shareholder says (Houston Chronicle)

April 2019 - Drinks bottles now biggest plastic menace for waterways – report (The Guardian)

April 2019 - Plastic patrol: 'You name it, I've seen it' (BBC)

April 2019 - After China's import ban, where to with the world's waste? (DW)

April 2019 - After China's import ban, where to with the world's waste? (DW)

April 2019 - Can plastic made from seaweed solve ocean pollution? (CTV News)

April 2019 - The massive ocean-cleanup device invented by a 24-year-old broke down in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (Business Insider)

March 2019 - Scientists found microplastics inside creatures from the deepest parts of the ocean (Business Insider)

March 2019 - 'Just bag after bag after bag': 40 kg of plastic found in dead whale's stomach (CBC)

March 2019 - As Costs Skyrocket, More U.S. Cities Stop Recycling (New York Times)

March 2019 - These 4 companies produce 6 million tons of plastic every year (CBS News)

March 2019 - Piling Up: How China’s Ban on Importing Waste Has Stalled Global Recycling (Yale E360)

March 2019 - [dead site: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30365448] EXCLUSIVE: Dump the habit of plastics (The Nation)

February 2019 - Plastic is toxic at every stage of its life cycle (treehugger)

February 2019 - Gomi portable speakers are made from non-recyclable plastic waste (dezeen)

February 2019 - Five Melbourne councils forced to dump recycling in landfill as Victoria crisis deepens (The Guardian)

February 2019 - Quebec municipal leaders want deposit-return system expanded to wine and water bottles (Montreal Gazette)

February 2019 - A Crowdfunded Idea to Clean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Is Now a $35-Million Nonprofit. Scientists Still Don't Think It'll Work (Gizmodo)

February 2019 - Millions of tons of plastic waste could be turned into clean fuels, other products (Phys.Org)

February 2019 - Scientists Turn Plastic Waste Into Useful Products (Interesting Engineering)

February 2019 - Colchester County's plastic-lumber maker thrives on recycled grocery bags (The Chronicle Herald)

February 2019 - The major source of ocean plastic pollution you’ve probably never heard of (The Conversation)

February 2019 - Microplastics found in every marine mammal surveyed in UK study (The Guardian)

February 2019 - Islanders tackle plastic waste problem in 'Waves of Change' public forum (CBC)

February 2019 - Our Big Microplastic Survey is helping people do something about plastic pollution (The Conversation)

February 2019 - From paradise to landfill: beloved California beach covered in trash (The Guardian)

February 2019 - A Grand Plan to Clean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (The New Yorker)

January 2019 - Greenpeace ships are setting sail to tackle the global plastic pollution crisis

January 2019 - Here’s what happens to our plastic recycling when it goes offshore (The Conversation (Australia)

January 2019 - EU proposes ban on 90% of microplastic pollutants (The Guardian)

January 2019 - Walmart commits to reducing plastic waste (Canadian Grocer)

January 2019 - 'We Can't Recycle Our Way Out of This Problem': Ben & Jerry's Bans Single-Use Plastics (EcoWatch)

January 2019 - 'Zero-waste' Loop delivers Coke and Häagen-Dazs in reusable packaging (Engadget)

January 2019 - Is there any point in recycling? (The Conversation)

January 2019 - Microplastics Discovered in Key Drinking Water Source (Gizmodo)

January 2019 - Samsung ditches plastic packaging for more sustainable materials (GSM Arena)

January 2019 - Microplastics in Arctic sea ice should concern everybody (Arctic Today)

January 2019 - Environmental group takes on single-use plastics in Lunenburg (CBC)

January 2019 - WWF International's director-generaI: If you’re recycling plastic, you’re fooling yourself (Yahoo! Finance)

January 2019 - CBRM storing 300 tonnes of film plastic one year after China’s import ban (Cape Breton Post)

January 2019 - Big Plastic Trash Plan Is Just a Drop in the Polluted Ocean (Bloomberg)

January 2019 - Experts warned this floating garbage collector wouldn’t work. The ocean proved them right. (Washington Post)

January 2019 - A running list of action on plastic pollution (National Geographic)

January 2019 - Malaysia is floundering in a sea of American plastic (treehugger)

December 2018 - The Ocean Cleanup Experiences Structural Malfunction (The Maritime Executive)

December 2018 - Great Pacific garbage patch $20m cleanup fails to collect plastic (The Guardian)

December 2018 - Plastic pollution discovered at deepest point of ocean (The Guardian)

December 2018 - The massive ocean cleanup device invented by a 24-year-old is running into problems in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (Business Insider)

December 2018 - B.C. MP celebrates 'tremendous' victory as plastics pollution motion passes House (CBC)

December 2018 - Microplastics are hurting snails' ability to evade predators (Treehugger)

December 2018 - Plastic in the Ocean: Billions of Microplastic Nanoparticles Found in Scallop Intestines in Just Hours (Newsweek)

December 2018 - Microplastics found in guts of every species of sea turtle across world (Independent)

November 2018 - [dead link: https://carleton.ca/coris/2018/environment-climate-change-construction-waste/] Environment and Climate Change Canada – Plastics Challenge – Construction Waste (Carleton University)

October 2018 - In a first, microplastics found in human poop (The Telegraph)

October 2018 - Paradise lost: The Caribbean island drowning in waste and the painstaking battle to clean it up (National Geographic)

October 2018 - Nestlé, Tim Hortons named Canada's top plastic polluters (CBC News)

October 2018 - Plastic Waste in the World's Oceans Could Double by 2030 (Bloomberg)

September 2018 - Halifax G7 meeting to promote ocean plastics charter: McKenna

September 2018 - How 'greener' plastic packaging became a problem — and how to fix it (CBC News)

September 2018 - The world may be entering the 'plastic age' because of level of waste, leading academic warns (The Telegraph)

September 2018 - A Running List of Action on Plastic Pollution (National Geographic)

September 2018 - A 600-metre-long plastic catcher heads to sea (National Observer)

August 2018 - Arctic Council eyes action plan to reduce Arctic marine litter, microplastics (Arctic Today)

August 2018 - How flushed contact lenses add to microplastic pollution in waterways (CBC News)

August 2018 - [original link is dead: https://www.topic.com/american-beauties], but try this 3-minute YouTube clip instead: American Beauties - the plastic bag scene

August 2018 - Tons of plastic trash enter the Great Lakes every year – where does it go? (The Conversation)

August 2018 - Everyday plastics quietly pollute the air as they degrade: study (Global News)

August 2018 - Plastic pollution: How one woman found a new source of warming gases hidden in waste (BBC News)

July 2018 - All-you-can-eat landfill buffet spells trouble for birds (The Conversation)

July 2018 - The Latest: San Francisco bans plastic straws, stirrers (Associated Press)

July 2018 - Why you shouldn’t be a ‘straw-man’ environmentalist (The Conversation)

July 2018 - Plastic Pollution: The Search for a Sustainable Solution

July 2018 - Federal agency partners with plastic-zapping microwave company from Montreal (National Observer)

July 2018 - New Zealand the most perilous place for seabirds due to plastic pollution (The Guardian)

July 2018 - Starbucks says it will replace plastic straws in stores globally with ones made from other materials by 2020 (CBC News)

July 2018 - How to clean up our universal plastic tragedy (The Conversation)

July 2018 - Stop Sucking, And Help Save Our Planet (Huffington Post)

July 2018 - Swiss Chalet, Harvey's parent Recipe Unlimited to phase out plastic straws at its 19 brands by 2019 (Financial Post)

July 2018 - More Recycling Won't Solve Plastic Pollution (Scientific American blog)

July 2018 - Humans, fish and other animals are consuming microfibers in our food and water

July 2018 - Plastic Pollution: How Humans are Turning the World into Plastic

June 2018 - Here’s Something to Think About the Next Time You Grab a Plastic Straw (Mother Jones article)

May 2018 - A&W Canada first restaurant chain in North America to eliminate plastic straws (Newswire media release)

April 2018 - The Last Straw Initiative (Toronto)

April 2018 - Beyond our oceans: Microplastics pollute rivers and lakes too (The Conversation)

April 2018 - Arctic sea ice jammed with plastics from Pacific garbage patch (CBC News)

April 2018 - Plastic pollution: Arctic sea ice contains huge quantity of microplastics, reveals new analysis (The Independent)

April 2018 - [dead link: https://www.ozy.com/rising-stars/piloting-a-plastics-pollution-revolution/86020] Piloting a Plastics Pollution Revolution

April 2018 - Why products marked 'recyclable' sometimes aren't (CBC News)

Resin identification codes, which resemble the recycling symbol, are used only to differentiate between types of plastics; they are not meant to communicate an environmental claim. (Alberta Plastics Recycling Association)

April 2018 - 'We need to rethink the entire plastics industry': Why banning plastic straws isn't enough (CBC News)

April 2018 - Growing Concern over Plastic Pollution in Rivers and Lakes (Maritime Executive)

April 2018 - [dead link: https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/plastic-pollution-in-oceans-and-lakes-means-health-risks-for-humans-1215925827609] Plastic Menace: Millions of Pounds Pollute Great Lakes (2 minute video - NBC News))

April 2018 - (Solid Waste Association of North America) SWANA to Focus on Plastic Reduction, Recycling

April 2018 - The battle to ban plastic bags (Phys.org)

April 2018 - Plastic debris found in tap water, beer, and sea salt (Treehugger)

April 2018 - Are You Drinking Plastic (CBC Marketplace) (video 23 minutes)

April 2018 - Microplastics Litter the Ocean, but What about Freshwater and Land? (LabManager e-magazine article)

April 2018 - Study Determines the Presence of Microplastic Particles in Organic Fertilizers (AZoCleantech e-magazine article)

April 2018 - Microplastics: Every Meal You Eat May Contain More Than 100 Pieces of Plastic, New Study Finds (Newsweek e-magazine article and video 2.5 minutes)

March 2018 - Tackling microplastic pollution in Europe's rivers (Euronews on-line article)

March 2018 - Microplastic pollution in world’s oceans poses major threat to filter-feeding megafauna (MongaBay on-line article)

March 2018 - WHO launches health review after microplastics found in 90% of bottled water (The Guardian on-line article)

March 2018 - Microplastic pollution in oceans is far worse than feared, say scientists (The Guardian on-line article)

March 2018 - Canada to push for ambitious ‘plastics charter’ at G7, Environment Minister McKenna says

March 2018 - Krill can digest ocean plastics: 'That is certainly not good news at all'

February 2018 - An international plastics treaty could avert a “Silent Spring” for our seas

January 2018 - Ten ‘stealth microplastics’ to avoid if you want to save the oceans (The Conversation)

January 2018 - [Link has bit-rotted: http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/Press-Center/2018/Canada-will-push-G7-partners-to-sign--no-plastics-pledge-to-save-the-oceans/] Canada will push G7 partners to sign no plastics pledge to save the oceans

December 2017 - UN resolves to end ocean plastic waste

November 2017 - The future of plastics: reusing the bad and encouraging the good

November 2017 - 'Trash islands' off Central America indicate ocean pollution problem

July 2017 - Plastic Garbage Patch Bigger Than Mexico Found in Pacific

June 2017 - Plastic Pollutants Pervade Water and Land

May 2017 - The Ocean Is Filling Up With 'Plastic Smog'

May 2017 - How an Uninhabited Island Got the World’s Highest Density of Trash

May 2017 - Plastic paradise: The shocking extent of ocean waste

October 2017 - Shocking Caribbean photos reveal a “sea of plastic and Styrofoam” (InHabitat)

February 2017 - From sea to plate: how plastic got into our fish

December 2016 - Plastic Island: How our throwaway culture is turning paradise into a graveyard

October 2016 - 'Great Pacific garbage patch' far bigger than imagined, aerial survey shows

October 2016 - Plastics Marine Litter and the Circular Economy

December 2015 - An Investment Opportunity In Trash

February 2015 - How much are we trashing our oceans?

January 2015 - Ocean Trash: 5.25 Trillion Pieces and Counting, but Big Questions Remain

December 2014 - 5 Trillion Pieces of Ocean Trash Found, But Fewer Particles Than Expected

June 2014 - Plastic waste causes $13 billion in annual damage to marine ecosystems, says UN agency

September 2012 - Plastic Oceans