Global Plastic Pollution Treaty Talks Fail
A summit many hoped would yield a landmark treaty to tackle a global plastic pollution crisis ended in disappointment after oil- and gas-producing countries pushed back on limiting production
Challenging Big Oil’s Big Lie about Plastic Recycling
California’s lawsuit against Exxon is about ending the lie that most plastic is recyclable
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The U.S. Has Its First Plan for Plastic Pollution. This Is What’s in It
The U.S.’s first plastic pollution plan features better measuring standards, more responsibility for producers and an end to single-use products
How the Recycling Symbol Duped People into Buying More Plastic
The simplicity of the recycling symbol belies its complicated role in corporate America’s quest to sell ever more plastic
Microplastics Have Now Been Found in Testicles. How Bad Is That?
Evidence shows microplastics can end up in many different organs and may harm reproductive health
Earth Is Drowning in Plastic. Can an International Treaty Help?
A marine scientist discusses the problem of plastic pollution and her hopes for an international treaty to tackle it
First Comprehensive Plastics Database Tallies Staggering 16,000 Chemicals—And It’s Still Incomplete
A massive new dataset highlights more than 4,200 plastic chemicals linked to health and environmental risks. But scientists say there are still large gaps in the scientific understanding of plastic ingredients
What Does Plastic Do to the Endocrine System?
Mounting evidence shows the endocrine-disrupting chemicals in plastics are harmful to human health
Microplastics Linked to Heart Attack, Stroke and Death
People who had tiny plastic particles lodged in a key blood vessel were more likely to experience serious health problems or die during a three-year study
Plankton Are Making Ocean Plastic Pollution Even More of a Mess
Microbes tear up plastic into teeny tiny pieces that are even more dangerous to ecosystems
Fossil-Fuel Interests Try to Weaken Global Plastics Treaty
Good news: the world is discussing a treaty to stem plastic pollution. Bad news: fossil-fuel interests are trying to weaken it
Surprising Creatures Lurk in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
In the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, plastic creates strange communities that bring coastal and open-ocean animals together