Minimal Plastic Living Latest News...
40 tons of fishing nets retrieved in Pacific Ocean cleanup
In a mission to clean up trash floating in the ocean, environmentalists pulled 40 tons of abandoned fishing nets this month from an area known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Mariners on a 140-foot cargo sailboat outfitted with a crane voyaged from Hawaii to the heart of the Pacific...
South Australia to become first state to ban plastic items including straws, Government says
A range of single-use plastics including straws and cutlery is set to be banned in South Australia — but that could be just the tip of the iceberg, with items including takeaway coffee cups and plastic bags also in the firing line. Key points: South Australia would become the first...
Bird spotted feeding chick cigarette butt in ‘devastating’ picture
A parent bird has been spotted feeding its chick a cigarette butt, highlighting environmental concerns and prompting a wave of anger at careless smokers. The black skimmer bird was photographed at a beach in Florida, US, picking the butt up and putting it in the baby’s mouth. Karen Mason, who took...
Igloo Says Goodbye To Styrofoam Coolers, Releases Biodegradable Update
Styrofoam coolers are lightweight, cheap, and pretty good at keeping beverages cold. They’re also pretty bad for the environment. Styrofoam is Dow Chemical’s trademarked name for extruded polystyrene, and in addition to being conveniently disposable, it’s also a source of greenhouse gases, doesn’t degrade for centuries, and is highly flammable. Oh, and animals...
How a company in Berlin is turning coffee grounds into recycled reusable cups
Kaffeeform is a Berlin-based start-up that uses coffee grounds to create reusable coffee cups. The 100% biodegradable, reusable cups are used in coffee shops and restaurants around the city. Kaffeeform, a Berlin-based start-up, has been creating coffee cups from recycled coffee grounds for the past three years. With the help...
India Will Ban All Single-Use Plastics by 2022
It’s the most ambitious move against global plastic pollution yet. First comes the leak, then comes the flood. 2018 will be remembered as the year the world waged war on plastic waste — and the revolution has just got serious. India announced it will ban all single-use plastics by 2022...
Biofuel, beeswax wraps and recyclable coffee cups: United debuts 'eco-friendly flight'
United Airlines hasn’t served complimentary meals in economy for years, but passengers on Flight 310 from Chicago to Los Angeles on Wednesday were treated to a choice of a Thai summer salad with mango and rice noodles, a quinoa and kale superfood wrap or an artisanal cheese plate. No, the Chicago-based airline isn't...
Supermarkets charging more for loose fruits and vegetables
Loose fruit and vegetables are often more expensive than those sold in plastic packaging, a survey of supermarkets has found. Environmental campaigners have accused supermarkets of discouraging shoppers from saving the planet by making it more expensive to avoid products wrapped in plastic. Sainsbury's was found to be charging 17p for...
How Your Toothbrush Became a Part of the Plastic Crisis
At first, years ago, it was just an occasional piece of plastic trash that Kahi Pacarro, the founder of Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, picked up on the beach cleanups he organized around the state. A straw here, a takeout container there. But one day Pacarro spotted something particularly surprising in the beach...
Canada Plans to Ban Single-Use Plastics, Joining Growing Global Movement
MONTREAL — Canada on Monday joined a growing global movement with a plan to ban single-use plastics blighting the environment. Announcing the ban next to a lake at the picturesque Gault Nature Reserve in Mont St-Hilaire, outside of Montreal, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wanted his children to be able to...
Two thirds of firms involved in Plastic Pledge have made no progress
Two thirds of firms which pledged last year to get rid of unnecessary single-use plastics have shown no progress, a report reveals. The ‘UK Plastics Pact’ was signed with great fanfare by 127 companies, including the big supermarkets and food and drinks giants. In all, they accounted for 85 per...
Food packaging is full of toxic chemicals – here's how it could affect your health
The internet cheered in December when Trader Joe’s announced it would take meaningful steps towards making its packaging more sustainable. The supermarket chain outlined a plan that included reducing and eliminating excess waste, using materials that could realistically be recycled and avoiding harmful substances. It’s the last part that medical and environmental...
