Volunteers clean the beach during the 2021 International Coastal Cleanup on September 18, 2021 in Santa Monica, California. | Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Ocean Conservancy
Information gathered through decades of coastal cleanups shows the majority of plastic litter recovered was never recyclable through curbside systems in the first place, according to Ocean Conservancy.
Unnamed sources told Reuters that Renew Oceans captured only one metric ton of plastic waste from the Ganges River, far short of publicly stated goals. | photo stock india/Shutterstock
This article has been updated.
A touted initiative from the Alliance to End Plastic Waste ceased operations in India nearly a year ago, and it’s not expected to be revived.
Circulate Capital invested in Dalmia Polypro Industries, a plastic bottle recycling company based in Mumbai, India. | Courtesy of Circulate Capital.
The U.S. and Europe have had formal recycling infrastructure in place for decades. That’s not the case in India, where Circulate Capital just invested millions of dollars to boost infrastructure and reduce ocean plastics generation.
The bill authorizes millions in grant funds and also creates a prize to support projects related to preventing marine debris. | Mario De Moya F/Shutterstock
Both chambers of Congress have now passed marine debris prevention legislation, which includes millions of dollars in support to states for recycling and other materials management initiatives.
Using data from 2016, researchers found the U.S. could be the third largest generator of mismanaged plastic waste.| Rafeed Hussain/Ocean Conservancy
Despite having a robust plastics collection infrastructure, the U.S. is one of the largest contributors to ocean plastics worldwide, according to new findings from well-known plastic waste researchers.
Chemical recycling uses different processes to break plastics down into other chemicals, which can be used to make fuels, new plastics or many other products. | Vershinin89/Shutterstock
A report from activist organization GAIA claims processing strategies that have been heavily promoted by the polymer industry amount to a “greenwashing tactic” undermining efforts to ban single-use plastics.
Researchers identified recycling as a critical piece of the solution to reducing ocean pollutants.| BBbirdZ/Shutterstock
A policy paper from leading ocean plastic experts lays out a strategy for reducing plastic and other pollutants in the world’s waterways. Researcher Jenna Jambeck and others offered details on how materials recovery fits into the plan.
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste announced earlier this month it would be supporting a female-led plastics recycling plant in Ghana. | Courtesy of ASASE Foundation.
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste is currently working to implement more than a dozen initiatives worldwide. The group’s leader recently explained key details, as well as how COVID-19 has impacted progress.
Bloem is a mid-sized planter manufacturer producing about 25 million pots a year. | Courtesy of Bloem.
A polypropylene planter producer has begun molding with marine plastics, after the company and its suppliers overcame melt flow and color consistency challenges.
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HP has used more than 1 million pounds of ocean-bound plastic across a range of products. | Sundry Photography/Shutterstock
UL has certified that resins used by technology company HP contain scrap plastic that was at risk of entering the Caribbean Sea.