Mexico City's Ban on Plastic Bags Officially Takes Effect

Mexico City has joined a growing number of cities in banning single-use plastic bags. Mexico City has had problems with excessive amounts of trash for years now. Plastic only recently became recyclable in the city.

Oil industry is spending billions on increasing plastics production

Petrochemical manufacturers are building 11 new ethylene plants on the Gulf Coast, with capacity for polyethylene growing by 30 percent as developing nations' demand for petrochemical/chemical products continues to increase.

Too Much More Microplastic in the Ocean Than We Realized

If you pulled 1,000 liters of water out of the ocean, how many small bits of plastic would you expect to find? Ten pieces? One hundred pieces? 8.3 million pieces of what researchers call "mini-microplastic" is the finding of an alarming new study.

Our BPA Exposure Is Much Higher Than We Thought

BPA or Bisphenol A (a toxic ingredient in plastic products) levels on might be far higher then we previously tested, a new study, that used new device to measure levels of the common industrial chemical in our bodies, suggests 

Indonesia is being contaminated by imported plastics

Researchers from the Sweden-based International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) have found that plastic waste shipped from Western countries is contaminating Indonesia's food supply.

Ukraine to ban plastic bags from 2022

Plastic bags will be banned in retail and restaurants as of 2022. The ban will apply to bags under 50 microns but not to biodegradable bags. However, the ban will not apply to bags used for packing fresh fish and meat, bulk food and ice.

Coca-Cola named biggest global plastic polluter brand

The report audited 484 clean-ups in over 50 countries and six continents in September to identify the biggest polluting companies. The results are - Coca-Cola is the biggest global plastic polluter for the second year in a row.

Microplastics accelerate cell death at 3 times the normal rate

Dutch researchers have found recently announced that cells exposed to microplastics experience cell death three times faster than those that are not. With microplastic pollution everywhere, the findings are sobering.

Ocean cleanup device successfully collects plastic for first time

Boyan Slat, the creator of the Ocean Cleanup project, tweeted that the 600 metre-long (2,000ft) free-floating boom had captured and retained debris from what is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

One of the most remote islands is plagued by plastic waste

 The island of Tristan da Cunha is halfway between Argentina and South Africa. Recent study shows that it is hugely polluted by plastic that comes from international shipping.

New Study Finds Dangerous Plastics in Children

Studies have found that microplastics are in the human food chain. Recently Plastic by-products have been discovered in blood and urine samples of young children. They were found in 97% to 100% of the test cases. 

India set to outlaw six single-use plastic products from October

India is set to impose a nationwide ban on plastic bags, cups and straws on Oct. 2, officials said, in its most sweeping measure yet to stamp out single-use plastics from cities and villages that rank among the world’s most polluted.

Plastics Could Mark the Start of a Geological Era

the ocean sediment tells a clear story of the world’s growing reliance on plastic. Between 1945 and 2009, the rate of plastic deposition doubled every 15 years on average.

Vanuatu bans disposable diapers in fight against plastic

The ban is part of a nationwide effort to curb plastic pollution, which has overwhelmed the tiny country in recent years. Vanuatu's is believed to be the first such ban on disposable diapers anywhere in the world.

Malaysia vows to send plastic waste back to countries of origin

Last month Philippines ordered Canada to take back 69 shipping containers filled with Canadian trash. And now Malaysia has announced that it will be shipping out 450 metric tonnes of plastic trash to its countries of origins.