Minimal Plastic Living Latest News...
UN Decides to Control Global Plastic Waste Dumping
MAY 10, 2019 Geneva, Switzerland — Today, 187 countries took a major step forward in curbing the plastic waste crisis by adding plastic to the Basel Convention, a treaty that controls the movement of hazardous waste from one country to another. The amendments require exporters to obtain the consent of receiving countries...
Maine becomes the first U.S. state to ban Styrofoam
Food containers made of Styrofoam, also known as polystyrene, will be officially banned from businesses in Maine after governor Janet Mills signed a bill into law Tuesday on the 7th of May. The law, which will go into effect January 1, 2021, prohibits restaurants, caterers, coffee shops and grocery stores from...
Whale calf left with no tail after getting trapped in abandoned fishing net
Warning: graphic content This is the shocking moment a young whale is caught on camera swimming in the sea without a tail. The humpback whale calf appeared to be moving normally through the water but when it dived it revealed a horrific ragged wound where its tail should have been....
The world's recycling is in chaos, here is what has to happen
It has been a year since China jammed the works of recycling programs around the world by essentially shutting down what had been the industry’s biggest market. China’s National Sword policy, enacted in January 2018, banned the import of most plastics and other materials headed for that nation’s recycling processors, which had handled nearly half of...
Trader Joe’s is about to ditch all excess plastic
Trader Joe’s is sticking to one of its New Year’s resolutions by committing to reduce its plastic waste by more than one million pounds. The move follows growing customer demand for less plastic and more sustainable packaging in Trader Joe’s stores; a change.org petition on the subject amassed over 80,000 signatures in two months....
Hawaii strongly considers banning most plastics at restaurants to cut down on ocean pollution
Hawaii would be the first state in the U.S. to ban most plastics at restaurants under legislation that aims to cut down on waste that pollutes the ocean. Dozens of cities across the country have banned plastic foam containers, but Hawaii's measure would make it the first to do so statewide. The...
Every Animal Pulled From the Deepest Part of the Ocean Had Plastic in Its Gut
Stories of whales, turtles, and seabirds with guts filled with plastic have become increasingly common. Recently, a team of scientists wanted to determine the extent of plastic pollution and its effects on animals by investigating the most remote regions of the ocean, sending vehicles to the deepest marine trenches to collect tiny amphipods — shrimp-like creatures — that...
Europe to Ban Single-use Plastic
In an environmentally historic vote, the European Parliament has moved to ban single-use plastic products across Europe. This ban outlaws plastic bags, straws, plates, cups, drink stirrers and cotton swabs. Every year, 80 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean — at a rate of a dump truck every minute....
Can you solve the plastics problem? New prize invites ideas.
Plastic is everywhere. It pools in the farthest reaches of the ocean and collects on the slopes of the highest mountains; researchers have found it in whales’ bellies and in the groundwater reserves we tap for drinking. Every day, about one megaton more is produced, enough to make almost 22 trillion water bottles—and more than 90...
Why stop at plastic bags and straws? The case for a global treaty banning most single-use plastics
Single-use plastics are a blessing and a curse. They have fueled a revolution in commercial and consumer convenience and improved hygiene standards, but also have saturated the world’s coastlines and clogged landfills. By one estimate 79 percent of all plastic ever produced is now in a dump, a landfill or...
