Plastic waste

Scientists have calculated that a total of 5.6 million metric tonnes of synthetic microfibers escaped washing machines between 1950 and 2016, but not all of it ended up where you might expect

Environment

Study tallies up the plastic fibers shed globally through laundry

Laundry cycles see our clothes shed huge amounts of microplastic fibers into the wastewater and scientists have now made an effort to quantify this, estimating that millions of metric tonnes of synthetic fibers have entered waterbodies since 1950.

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside have come up with a new technique to turn plastic bottles into a material for supercapacitors

Energy

Upcycling technique turns plastic bottles into supercapacitor material

Were key components for supercapactirors to come from sustainable sources that would only add to their appeal, and scientists are offering up this possibility in the form of a nanomaterial made from upcycled plastic waste.

Scientists at University of California San Diego have used algae oil to produce biodegradable flip flops

Environment

Algae-based, biodegradable flip flops are built to go the distance

A team of scientists has been working on more environmentally friendly forms of footwear, and is now showing off a pair of algae-based flip flops that make the grade for commercial footwear, but degrade in the environment in just 16 weeks.

Mountains of plastic waste wash into the ocean every year, and we face a big battle to clean up the mess

Environment

Floating booms could only clean up 5% of plastic on the ocean surface

A new study has cast doubt over one method of cleaning up ocean plastics in floating trash-collection barriers, finding that these devices are unlikely to put a dent in the overall problem, even if left to run well into next century.

Scientists studied the impacts of plastic particles on Arabidopsis thaliana, and found that they can inhibit its growth and reduce the overall biomass of the fully formed plant

Environment

Study shows nanoplastics can build up in plants and stunt their growth

That tiny plastic fragment exists in soil is perhaps not so surprising, but researchers have now conducted one of the first studies on what this means for plant life, finding that it can reduce the total biomass of the finished product.

Through the discovery of plastic fragments in the feces and regurgitated food of dippers, scientists have found what they say is the first evidence of river microplastics traveling up the food chain

Environment

Study reveals first sign of river plastics traveling up the food chain

The efforts of researchers to trace plastic waste continues to turn up evidence of its detrimental effects on the natural world, with the latest example a study detailing the first evidence of river-borne plastic waste traveling up the food chain.

Researchers have uncovered more evidence of the magnitude of the plastic waste problem in the ocean

Environment

Scientist unearth record amount of microplastics on the seafloor

Researchers working to trace the path of plastic waste through the marine environment have discovered the highest concentration of microplastics ever recorded on the seafloor, the result of deep-sea currents that act like conveyor belts for our trash.

Researchers have discovered microplastic particles in Antarctic sea ice for the first time

Environment

Microplastics show up in Antarctic sea ice for the first time

Understanding the extent of plastic pollution is incredibly difficult. Scientists have again found evidence of small particles in the most remote of places, discovering microplastics lodged in cores of Antarctic sea ice for the first time.

New research has found a species of lobster that grinds plastic waste into smaller microplastic particles

Environment

Lobsters found to grind plastics down into "secondary microplastics"

A new study by scientists in Italy has shone a light on the way lobsters digest plastic particles, finding that their stomach actually grinds them up into tiny fragments that can pose a risk to smaller creatures in the food chain.

A new study has demonstrated how sediment flows in the ocean can shift microplastic waste into the deep ocean

Environment

Underwater avalanches drive microplastic waste into the deep ocean

Scientists studying the movement of seafloor sediment have found that underwater avalanches are driving microplastics into the deep ocean, which may help researchers better map the distribution of waste throughout the marine environment.

A microscope image showing how a sheet of the plastic biodegrades in seawater – the material was developed in partnership with Japanese company Nihon Shokuhin Kako

Environment

Plant-based plastic biodegrades in the ocean

Whether it's entangling marine animals or forming giant floating "garbage patches," oceanic plastic waste is a huge problem. There may be new hope however, in the form of what is claimed to be a better type of marine-biodegradable plastic.

A new study has uncovered some of the sensory mechanism that can drive sea turtles to consume plastic waste

Biology

"Olfactory trap" lures sea turtles into eating plastic waste

Sea turtles are one example of a creature that regularly consumes plastic trash for dinner, and a new study offers up new answers as to why revealing that they can mistake the smell of plastic for food as part of an “olfactory trap.”