The Earth is covered in plastic—and we keep making more of it. Caitlin Saks and Arlo Pérez Esquivel join chemist Malika Jeffries-EL in her Boston University lab to explore just what it takes to break ...

We know some microbes can break down certain plastics, but our new study finds no clear correlation between plastic pollution levels and the production of plastic-degrading enzymes by marine ...

Global plastic production has increased from 369 million tons in 2016 to 404.5 million metric tons in 2020, partly due to materials used in the COVID-19 pandemic. (Getty Images) FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. With so many different plastics entering the waterways that take ...

Biodegradable plastics are sold as a simple fix for a world drowning in packaging, but the reality is far messier than the marketing suggests. Labels that promise bags, cups, and utensils will ...

Synthetic petrochemical plastics can persist in the environment for hundreds of years - Copyright AFP TIMOTHY A. CLARY Synthetic petrochemical plastics can persist in ...

The University of California San Diego’s vision is to be a student-centered, research-focused, service-oriented public university. There are countless examples across campus of the ways these three ...

Senior Lecturer in Sustainability and the Built Environment, University of Portsmouth Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Over 100 million ...

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily. Most plastics marketed as “home compostable” don’t actually work, with as much as 60% ...

Choosing a biodegradable fork over a traditional plastic utensil seems like an environmental win, but that product still follows the path of a linear economy: raw materials are collected to make ...

Plastics are synthetic or semi-synthetic materials made from polymers, which are long chains of molecules typically derived from petroleum, natural gas, or other organic sources. Plastics are ...