Tag: Plastics

The misleading accounting behind your ‘recycled’ plastic

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by: Josh Wolsky  |  

A complex accounting method used by plastic producers is under fire for overstating recycled content in products. Mondelez, maker of Triscuits, is using a system called “mass balance” to claim up to 50% of its packaging comes from recycled materials, even though actual recycled content may be much lower. Critics, including environmental groups and a

Read & Share   sourced from: Grist

The plastic recycling myth and our very real crisis 

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by: MinotVoice  |  

Plastic used to be a convenience. Now it’s a contaminant — not just in our oceans and landfills, but in our bodies and even our brains. This Earth Month, Grove Collaborative CEO Jeff Yurcisin makes a clear-eyed case: recycling isn’t saving us, and industry has to do better. The plastic problem is no longer distant

Read & Share   sourced from: Fast Company

Microplastic pollution found “pervasive” in Antarctic snow

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Recent research highlights the troubling discovery of high levels of microplastics in Antarctic snow, challenging the notion that even the planet’s most remote regions are spared from plastic pollution. A new study published in _Science of the Total Environment_ shows concentrations reaching over 3,000 particles per liter, far exceeding previous estimates. The implications are significant,

Read & Share   sourced from: The New Lede

Microplastics found in human brains in high levels

by: MinotVoice  |  

New research has confirmed what many feared—plastic isn’t just in our environment, it’s in our brains. A study published in _Nature Medicine_ found nanoplastics in every human brain sample analyzed, with concentrations rising over time. Brains from dementia patients contained significantly more plastic, though researchers caution that a direct link remains unproven. The findings raise

Read & Share   sourced from: The New Lede

Listen: How the world fell in love with plastic without thinking through the consequences

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by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Plastics are everywhere, and that’s part of the problem. While 400 million tons of plastic are manufactured each year, 57 million tons end up as pollution. Attempts to create a binding treaty on plastic pollution recently stalled, as major oil producers resist curbing plastic production. As clean energy eats into oil profits, these countries see

Read & Share   sourced from: The Conversation

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A Single Tea Bag Could Release Billions of Microplastics Into The Body

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by: MinotVoice  |  

Research is revealing your tea bag may hold more than flavor—some of them release billions of microplastics into your cup. Researchers in Spain reveal these particles can even reach human cell nuclei, raising urgent questions about health and pollution. A comforting ritual now carries a hidden, unsettling story worth steeping over. Get the introductory story

Read & Share   sourced from: Science Alert

Why Recycling Isn’t the Answer to the Plastic Pollution Problem

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by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Recycling is a juggernaut. It has been so ingrained as the solution to waste management that we’ve failed to recognize that it’s just not very effective. For example, in a typical recycling program, only 15% of plastic actually gets collected for recycling. After collection, about 40% of the collected amount is discarded for poor quality.

Read & Share   sourced from: Nature