Biodegradable plastics have great potential to replace problematic plastics that don’t break down. But we, and the environment, need greater clarity on how to dispose of them.
A global treaty on plastic pollution must incentivize a take-make-reuse waste management system and include quantitative targets based on geography-specific emissions.
Representatives of 175 countries voted to start developing a global treaty to reduce plastic waste. Treaties addressing mercury, long-range air pollution and ozone depletion offer some lessons.
Microplastics are polluting soil worldwide, but it’s often hard to analyse the impact. New research shows how we can assess the scale of the problem using modelling.
After soil, water and food, microplastics have now entered the atmosphere, where they influence the climate system and may even change atmospheric chemistry.
We analysed the dust in 32 homes across Sydney, and found significant levels of microplastics. But having hard, non-varnished floors and vacuuming at least weekly might help.
Microplastic pollution is a global issue, but where do they come from and how are they transported across the ocean? A new study finds polyester microfibres are common throughout the Arctic Ocean.
Research Director, Australian Microplastic Assessment Project (AUSMAP); Honorary Senior Research Fellow, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University