Tesco announced the launch of reverse vending machines which they will trial in a number of stores. These recycling stations will pay 10p for each plastic bottle returned.
Whereas plastic generally takes years to degrade, the mushroom, first discovered growing in a Pakistani dump in 2017, could make it possible to break down the pollutants in weeks.
Indonesia wastes upward of 10 billion plastic bags every year, making it the second highest polluter of plastic in the world. Thousands of volunteers gathered around the country in one of the largest plastic cleanups to date.
Thailand will ban more than 400 types of electronic scrap (e-scrap) imports within the next six months. The government also will ban all types of plastic scrap imports over the course of the next two years.
More than 10,000 chemicals are allowed for use in food and packaging materials, many of which were grandfathered in after 1958 without data to back up their safety.
NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the ban will go into effect in six months, and retailers found in violation of it will be fined up to $65,000.
By January 2019, Dominica, home to 70,000 people, plans to fully ban all common plastic and styrofoam single-use food containers.
Chile has just become the first country in South America to ban the widespread use of plastic bags. Following the implementation of the ban, small shops have two years to adapt to the total ban on plastic bags.
It turns out that plastic bag taxes work. Really, really well. The number of plastic bags distributed by the UK's largest retailers has fallen by 86% since 2015, according to government figures.
In recent years, more than 60 countries have enacted policies to limit plastic use and more people embark on zero plastic challenges. Emerging epicenters of this movement are in capital cities across Africa.
Marriott Hotels will be eliminating plastic straws from its 6,500 hotels within the next year.
Miranda Wang has found a simple way to break down polyethylene and turn it into an essential ingredient for nylon, which otherwise uses petroleum.
Starbucks gives away over 1 billion straws with their iced drinks every year – but not anymore, thanks to their latest environmental initiative.
Big news from India: the country aims to abolish single-use plastic in about four years. The move could dramatically reduce the flow of plastic from 1.3 billion people.
In early June, Ben Lecomte will enter the waters to begin a 10,000-km swim across the Pacific Ocean that seeks to shine a light on ocean pollution and plastic contamination.
