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. The use of plastic across all facets of human life has grown more ...

Fossil fuel-based plastics take hundreds, if not thousands of years to biodegrade, leading to an urgent demand for biodegradable plastic alternatives. Plastics may be a villain in Earth's very own TV ...

Biodegradable plastics are often marketed as a simple solution to the world’s plastic pollution crisis. From food containers to shopping bags, these materials promise to disappear naturally after ...

Plastic pollution is a major threat to human survival, with more than six hundred thousand tons of plastics on Earth. 2 In an effort to reduce the concentration of conventional plastics, scientists ...

For more than two years, the UN member states have been trying to agree on a plastics treaty that includes globally binding measures against plastic pollution. In August, negotiations to reach an ...

When plastic was first introduced in 1907, it was hailed as a miracle material. The petroleum-based substance could seemingly do anything — harden into a rock-solid car part or a flexible waterproof ...

Several new projects turn waste into food for microbes that create PHA, a type of plastic that fully decomposes on its own, offering a less costly alternative to current bioplastics. This fork made of ...

Plastic pollution is one of the most defining environmental challenges of our time. Despite efforts to recycle or responsibly dispose of plastic, vast garbage patches in the oceans continue to grow, ...

Bacardi rum bottles, Skittles sweet wrappers, designer water bottles—a bevy of companies are developing biodegradable plastic packaging they say is better for the environment than traditional plastics ...