The EU’s Plan to Combat Plastic Waste

The European Parliament voted for a complete ban on a range of single-use plastic waste across the union in a bid to stop pollution of the oceans. The proposal also called for a reduction in single-use plastic waste for food and drink containers, including plastic cups.

The European Parliament voted for a complete ban on a range of single-use plastic waste across the union in a bid to stop pollution of the oceans. The proposal also called for a reduction in single-use plastic waste for food and drink containers, including plastic cups. The new law, overwhelmingly backed by the European Parliament asserts 10 single-use plastic products with readily available alternatives will be banned by 2021. The EU states and all residing within them are now obligated...
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Recycling’s Uncertain Future: China’s Ban On Waste I...

China has long been treated as our planet’s repository for plastic waste. The nation has accepted 45% of the world's total plastic recycling since reporting to the United Nations Comtrade Database began in 1992.

China has long been treated as our planet’s repository for plastic waste. The nation has accepted 45% of the world’s total plastic recycling since reporting to the United Nations Comtrade Database began in 1992. But alongside a new push to protect the environment, China no longer wants to be the world’s trash can, or even its recycle bin. China passed their “National Sword” policy banning plastic waste from being imported beginning in January 2018, signaling to the rest of the...
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California Plastic Laws: What You Need To Know

Even before plastic straw bans grew trendy, California was at the forefront of using less plastic and promoting more sustainable living. California pioneered a statewide ban on plastics beginning in 2016, when the state became the first in the U.S. to ban most stores from providing customers with single-use plastic bags, following a successful referendum. [...]

Even before plastic straw bans grew trendy, California was at the forefront of using less plastic and promoting more sustainable living. California pioneered a statewide ban on plastics beginning in 2016, when the state became the first in the U.S. to ban most stores from providing customers with single-use plastic bags, following a successful referendum. But the statewide straw ban is the first-of-its-kind. Though cities across the country—and the world—have adopted plastic straw bans, California is the first U.S. state...
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A Look at Plastics’ Toll – And What We Can Do About It

Plastic continues to be one of the most controversial materials to use when making or packaging products. While production costs and misuse the material is a global environmental problem, there are ways to help mitigate damage caused by the commonly mishandled material. The Problem Before we get down to business, let's first take a look [...]

Plastic continues to be one of the most controversial materials to use when making or packaging products. While production costs and misuse the material is a global environmental problem, there are ways to help mitigate damage caused by the commonly mishandled material. The Problem Before we get down to business, let’s first take a look at some statistics derived just from bottled water: Producing bottles to meet America’s demand for bottled water uses more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually...
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From Waste to Winner: The Reclaimed Plastics Economy

Plastic waste remains one of the largest global ecological issues, but earth-friendly entrepreneurs are increasing demand for reclaimed plastic to give it new life beyond the landfill. The production of plastic requires complex methods and costly equipment. It is mind-boggling to think that so much time, energy, and money is spent on something that ends [...]

 

Plastic waste remains one of the largest global ecological issues, but earth-friendly entrepreneurs are increasing demand for reclaimed plastic to give it new life beyond the landfill. The production of plastic requires complex methods and costly equipment. It is mind-boggling to think that so much time, energy, and money is spent on something that ends up doing more harm than good by polluting the ocean and filling up landfills. Every year, 8 million tons of plastic waste finds its way...
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VolkerWessels Wants to Roll Out PlasticRoad

When it comes to construction, plastic doesn't just have to come in Lego-shaped bricks to be a viable building material. Dutch construction company VolkerWessels is opening up about its PlasticRoad project which, as the name suggests, is looking for an alternative to conventional road-building by using recycled plastics instead. Is asphalt truly so bad that [...]

When it comes to construction, plastic doesn’t just have to come in Lego-shaped bricks to be a viable building material. Dutch construction company VolkerWessels is opening up about its PlasticRoad project which, as the name suggests, is looking for an alternative to conventional road-building by using recycled plastics instead. Is asphalt truly so bad that we need to find alternatives for it in a hurry? No, I wouldn’t say that. I will say, however, that it doesn’t hurt finding more...
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The Plastic Bottle Cutter Spins Waste into Rope

While the art of recycling plastic bottles into rope isn’t new, the inventors behind the Plastic Bottle Cutter sure are making it trendy. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the Plastic Bottle Cutter might be a clever way to make the best of a bad situation (that is, the ridiculous amount of plastic waste that’s tossed [...]

While the art of recycling plastic bottles into rope isn’t new, the inventors behind the Plastic Bottle Cutter sure are making it trendy. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the Plastic Bottle Cutter might be a clever way to make the best of a bad situation (that is, the ridiculous amount of plastic waste that’s tossed into our oceans and landfills). With over 150 million tons of plastic waste floating out at sea and millions more stashed away in dumps on...
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RePlast and the Art of Turning Waste into Building M...

When you think of plastic bricks, fond memories of playing with Legos might come to mind. But for New Zealander inventor and engineer Peter Lewis and ByFusion, shaping plastic into blocks is more than child's play. As more people and businesses become aware of the dangers of climate change, recycling, sustainability, and green technology has [...]

When you think of plastic bricks, fond memories of playing with Legos might come to mind. But for New Zealander inventor and engineer Peter Lewis and ByFusion, shaping plastic into blocks is more than child’s play. As more people and businesses become aware of the dangers of climate change, recycling, sustainability, and green technology has never been more in-demand. Outside of incinerating our trash or trying to find clever ways to bury and hide it, finding ways to reduce and...
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