Climate Protesters March on New York, Calling for End to Fossil Fuels
Ahead of U.N. meetings this week, thousands gathered in Midtown to demand that President Biden and other world leaders stop new oil and gas drilling.
Plastic's Health Impacts Are Becoming Impossible To Ignore
Plastic has been creeping into our food, our air, our water, and our bodies for decades now, with most people blissfully unaware of its presence and health risks. But two catastrophes in the past six months suddenly made it impossible to ignore how plastic affects Americans' lives, health, and future. The catastrophes I'm referring to are the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment and the smoke from Canadian wildfires that enveloped U.S. cities for days. If you're not already aware—and many aren't—these two moments have everything to do with plastic. Let me explain.
New York Packaging Reduction Bill Faces Ticking Clock
New York’s long-debated and many-times-revised Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act is the center focus again, with days left to move to the Senate and Assembly before the legislative session ends. Proponents say the legislation would address an out-of-control waste problem while providing economic payoffs.
A New Report Details the Climate, Health and Human Rights Impacts of a Plastic Bottle
On May 23, Defend Our Health, in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Beyond Petrochemicals campaign, released “Hidden Hazards: The Chemical Footprint of a Plastic Bottle,” a new report that explores the impact of PET plastics across their entire life cycle. Its authors find that the proliferation of single-use PET plastics — notably by companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo — “may prolong the climate crisis, threaten human health, and promote environmental racism.”
The Plastic Water Bottle Industry Is Booming. Here’s Why That’s a Huge Problem
The bottled water industry is a juggernaut. More than 1 million bottles of water are sold every minute around the world and the industry shows no sign of slowing down, according to a new report. Global sales of bottled water are expected to nearly double by 2030. But the industry’s enormous global success comes at a huge environmental, climate and social cost, according to the report published Thursday by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, which analyzes the industry’s global impacts.
Microplastics Are Filling the Skies. Will They Affect the Climate?
Recent studies reveal that tiny pieces of plastic are constantly lofted into the atmosphere. These particles can travel thousands of miles and affect the formation of clouds, which means they have the potential to impact temperature, rainfall, and even climate change.
Report Pinpoints Composting, Recycling to Cut Emissions
A report from the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives targeted organics diversion, increased recycling and reduced plastic use as key elements in keeping planetary warming below a critical threshold. The report explored several zero-waste solutions to model how to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, with a focus on the waste sector.
Single-Use Plastic Is Wreaking Havoc on the Planet. Here’s What You Can Do to Minimize Your Impact.
Plastics do not break down once they're thrown into nature. And, alarmingly, only around 9% plastic in the US is actually recycled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency — even the stuff you specifically threw into the recycle bin. What you might not realize is this isn't just a pollution problem. It's a climate problem. And by the time we start talking about recycling, the damage is already done.
What You Need to Know About Bioplastics
Bioplastics are a small but growing market of plastics that are becoming increasingly popular, thanks to concerns about the environmental and health impacts of traditional plastic. But behind that green sheen, biodegradable and compostable plastics have serious problems.
California Attorney General Investigates the Oil and Gas Industry’s Role in Plastic Pollution, Subpoenas Exxon
The oil and gas industry has a new battle to fight with California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s first-of-its-kind investigation into their role in the global plastics crisis—and it looks a lot like one they’ve been fighting over climate change.
Reducing New York's Manufactured Waste
Beyond Plastics President Judith Enck discusses her environmental agenda for the remainder of the legislative session, including curtailing the use of plastic straws, updating the state's recycling deposit law and encouraging producers to reduce their waste.
States Awash in Plastic Packaging Want Manufacturers to Pay Up
Maine and Oregon have passed laws that force plastic producers to bear some costs of waste management, and Massachusetts and Colorado may be next.
Trash or Recycling? Why Plastic Keeps Us Guessing.
The universal symbol for recycling, known as the “chasing arrows” logo, is stamped on so many things. But that doesn’t mean they’re recyclable.
A Shot In The Arm For Recycling – And The Environment
In January, Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill into law that aims to build on and bolster recycling efforts across New Jersey by requiring more recycled content in a variety of packaging products. These include plastic and paper shopping bags, plastic food and drink containers, plastic trash bags, and glass bottles and containers.
Why Are Plastic Bags So Bad For New Jersey's Environment That We Need A Ban?
Environmentalists say banning such bags is a big step toward reducing the ever-growing problem of plastic pollution.
Plastic Use In Agriculture Is Contributing To Climate Change
Plastic in fields—such as for mulching, enclosing hoop houses, and constructing greenhouses is drastically changing the rural landscape.
EPR Legislation Not Included in Final New York State Budget Despite Governor's Support
A plan for an extended producer responsibility program for packaging was not included in New York’s final state budget, which passed this weekend, despite Gov. Kathy Hochul spearheading the initiative by naming it a “landmark proposal” and including it in her executive budget.
Climate change threat from plastic
Although plastic pollution does pose a major and growing danger to marine wildlife, ecosystems, fisheries, and human health, plastic is, unfortunately, not just a threat to our oceans. Plastic is also a major threat to our climate and our collective future, a fact overlooked in most climate change programs, including the important new Biden climate agenda.
Chemical recycling won’t solve our plastics problem
The industry claims that this technological approach enables the true recycling of plastics back into the same kind of plastics. Unfortunately, despite the industry fanfare, chemical recycling is not a viable technology and is almost exclusively used to burn plastic waste as a heavily polluting, greenhouse gas emitting fuel.
Mail-back plastic recycling is carbon-intensive, advocates claim
Shipping used plastic forks and cups, ketchup packets, and potato chip bags to a recycling center is carbon intensive, environmental advocates say.
Though ship-back programs are currently small in the US now, they could contribute to climate change if they expand, according to the groups Beyond Plastics and The Last Beach Cleanup.