A massive plastic cleanup project provokes hope and skepticism
While The Ocean Cleanup has been hailed as one solution for ocean plastic pollution, some researchers have expressed concern.
From seaweed to sugarcane, companies race to find the next great plastic replacement
Small businesses are scrambling to meet the demand from consumers who want an alternative to plastic straws.
What if we could put our plastic trash to good use?
Humans produce 420 million tons of plastic annually, most of which lands in the environment. With these two innovations, plastic could have a useful second life.
Microplastics -- tiny fragments of plastic contained in microbeads and microfibers of everyday household products -- have infiltrated the landscape, oceans and living organisms. By studying microplastics, scientists hope to better understand their impact and how to limit their damage.
Starbucks will eliminate plastic straws from all of its locations within two years, citing the environmental threat to oceans.
Giant larvaceans -- bizarre and beautiful zooplankton -- can transport ocean plastic and may introduce it into the food chain.
The plastic debris housed in landfills and natural environments — currently 4.9 billion metric tons — will more than double by 2050, scientists reported Wednesday in Science Advances.
Henderson Island, a remote locale in the South Pacific, is covered with 37.7 million pieces of plastic debris -- the highest density ever recorded in the world for a beach.
