Tech In Plain Sight: Primitive Engineering Materials

It isn’t an uncommon science fiction trope for our hero to be in a situation where there is no technology. Maybe she’s back in the past or on a faraway planet. The Professor from Gillig…

Ground Flare At Mammoth New Exxon SABIC Plastics Plant Likened to A Harmless ‘Barbecue’ In Corporate Video

This story is part of a collaboration between DeSmog and Public Health Watch. “The normal flare plus the BBQ is on,” Elida Castillo, the program director of Chispa Texas, an environmental advocacy group, wrote to me in a text on December 6. It was...

An Open Source Detector For Identifying Plastics

One of the challenges involved in recycling plastic is determining the specific type of plastic a given item is actually made of. To keep up with demand, large scale recycling centers rely on vario…

The Fight Against Plastic: ‘If You’re Not at the Table, You’re on the Menu’ • The Revelator

A new podcast puts BIPOC storytelling front and center in working for solutions to the plastic crisis.

US Must Tackle Marine Plastics Pollution 'From Source to Sea': Report

"Plastic waste is an environmental and social crisis that the U.S. needs to affirmatively address from source to sea," says Monterey Bay Aquarium's Margaret Spring, who chaired the report's study committee.

'Encouraging': Unlike Trump, Biden Backs Global Treaty for Plastic Pollution

"It is encouraging to see the U.S. throwing its support behind a global plastic treaty," said a Greenpeace campaigner. "As a major producer and exporter of plastic, the U.S. has a responsibility to take a leadership role."

Plastic additives found in 52% of seabirds around the globe: study

More than half the world's seabirds have accumulated plastic chemical components in their bodies, a recent study showed.

US Plastics Industry Will Have More Emissions Than Coal by 2030, New Report Says

As the coal industry declines, the climate toll of plastics must be factored into emissions reductions efforts at COP26.

Plastic Pollution in Waterways Could Triple by 2040, Warns UN

"This assessment provides the strongest scientific argument to date for the urgency to act, and for collective action to protect and restore our oceans from source to sea."

US Lags Behind Most of the World When It Comes to Plastic Pollution Regulation

The U.S. is the largest plastic polluter per capita. The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act could change that.

Formosa Case Study Spotlights Plastics Industry's 'Staggering' Global Devastation

"We may never be able to fully measure the magnitude and scale of the harm done by Formosa around the world—both in terms of the damage it has wrought to the environment as well as basic human rights."

How to Turn Off the Tap on Plastic Waste • The Revelator

Erica Cirino’s new book, Thicker Than Water, examines the plastic pollution crisis — and its solutions — from oilfield to landfill.

Baby Poop Has Ten Times More Microplastic in It Than Adult Poop: Study

"The future is going to wonder what on earth we thought we were doing with plastic."

NSF EPSCoR grant will advance manufacturing of renewable and recyclable plastics

A $4 million award from the National Science Foundation’s EPSCoR RII Track 2 program will bring together researchers from Kansas and Delaware and fund work to improve how plastics are manufactured and recycled.

California Aims to Ban Recycling Symbols on Things That Aren’t Recyclable

The well-known three-arrows symbol doesn’t necessarily mean that a product is actually recyclable. A new bill would limit the products allowed to feature the mark.

California Aims to Ban Recycling Symbols on Things That Aren’t Recyclable

The well-known three-arrows symbol doesn’t necessarily mean that a product is actually recyclable. A new bill would limit the products allowed to feature the mark.

Opinion | The Proliferation of Plastics and Toxic Chemicals Must End

As we confront climate change, focusing on a single metric, like greenhouse gas emissions, could leave other harmful practices unaddressed.