Tag: plastics

Germany was largest exporter of plastic waste in 2025, sending 810,000 tonnes overseas

Germany was the world’s largest exporter of plastic waste in 2025 and sent more than 810,000 tonnes abroad, according to analysis of trade data carried out for the Guardian. Leana Hosea The UK followed close behind, according to the analysis by Watershed Investigations and the Basel Action Network. It exported more than 675,000 tonnes, its highest level… Read More Germany was largest exporter of plastic waste in 2025, sending 810,000 tonnes overseas

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Japan’s 450°C solution to tackle the rising challenges of plastic waste

With the use of its cutting-edge HICOP (High-efficiency Oil Production) technology, Japanese firm Environment Energy hopes to process 20,000 tons of plastic per year and turn plastic trash into crude oil. The enormous environmental hazards associated with the accumulation of plastic wastes is no longer unknown to the public. Globally, as much as one million… Read More Japan’s 450°C solution to tackle the rising challenges of plastic waste

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How the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu drastically cut plastic pollution

With lagoons once choked by rubbish, pressure from the appalled community led the government to ban certain single-use products Prianka Srinivasan For generations, the people of Erakor village in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu would pass their time swimming in the local lagoon. Ken Andrew, a local chief, remembers diving in its depths when he was a… Read More How the small Pacific island nation of Vanuatu drastically cut plastic pollution

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

Loji Beach, nestled in a bay in West Java, is especially prone to plastic pile-ups. Ocean currents sweep the waste into the bay where it gets trapped in and ends up on the sand. “There’s no real community living here. There’s not a proper road to the beach, so there’s no local people cleaning it… Read More The world dumps 2,000 truckloads of plastic into the ocean each day. Here’s where a lot of it ends up

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Ocean justice

Chris Armstrong ; Antje Scharenberg Treasure trove or rubbish dump? In either case, oceans are being spoiled. Concepts from ‘mare liberum’ to ‘common heritage’ don’t safeguard the blue planet’s largest frontier from escalated seabed mining, industrialised fishing and waste disposal, nor global inequality and racialized violence. Could a democratic World Ocean Authority be the answer?… Read More Ocean justice

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Recycled plastic can be more toxic and is no fix for pollution, Greenpeace warns

Recycling plastic can make it more toxic and should not be considered a solution to the pollution crisis, Greenpeace has warned before the latest round of negotiations for an international plastics treaty. “Plastics are inherently incompatible with a circular economy,” the global environmental network said in a report that brings together research showing recycled plastics are more… Read More Recycled plastic can be more toxic and is no fix for pollution, Greenpeace warns

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The world can cut plastic pollution by 80% by 2040: UN

Laura Paddison, CNN Countries could slash plastic pollution by 80% in less than two decades, according to a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme. Plastic pollution is a scourge that affects every part of the world, from the Arctic, to the oceans and the air we breathe. It’s even changing ecosystems. Scientists recently found rocks made from plastic on a remote… Read More The world can cut plastic pollution by 80% by 2040: UN

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Microbes discovered that can digest plastics at low temperatures

Helena Horton Microbes that can digest plastics at low temperatures have been discovered by scientists in the Alps and the Arctic, which could be a valuable tool in recycling. Many microorganisms that can do this have already been found, but they can usually only work at temperatures above 30C (86F). This means that using them… Read More Microbes discovered that can digest plastics at low temperatures

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