plastic waste

OSLO: Plastic waste and toxic chemicals found in remote parts of the Antarctic this year add to evidence that pollution is spreading to the ends of the Earth, environmental group Greenpeace said on Thursday. Microplastics - tiny bits of plastic from the breakdown of everything from shopping bags to car tires - were detected in nine of 17 water samples collected off the Antarctic peninsula by a Greenpeace vessel in early 2018, it said. And seven of nine snow samples taken on land in Antarctica found chemicals known as…

LONDON: More than 40 British companies including major retailers and soft drinks companies on Thursday pledged to eliminate unneccessary plastic packaging as part of an anti-pollution push. The 42 firms, responsible for 80 percent of plastic packaging sold in Britain, have signed up to a pact that aims to tackle plastic pollution over the next seven years through a series of measures. These include cutting down on single-use plastic packaging, making all plastic packaging reusable or recyclable and stipulating that 30…

Researchers in the US and Britain have accidentally engineered an enzyme which eats plastic and may eventually help solve the growing problem of plastic pollution, a study said Monday. More than eight million tons of plastic are dumped into the world's oceans every year, and concern is mounting over this petroleum-derived product's toxic legacy on human health and the environment. Despite recycling efforts, most plastic can persist for hundreds of years in the environment, so researchers are searching for better ways…

LONDON: Britain plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste within 25 years, Prime Minister Theresa May will announce Thursday as part of long-term plans for the environment. The government wants supermarkets to introduce plastic-free aisles and intends to inject new funding into plastics innovation, she will say in a speech outlining proposals. Meanwhile, changes to the tax system and charges on single-use plastic items such as takeaway containers will also be considered, according to May´s Downing Street office,…