Better measuring standards, more responsibility for producers and an end to single-use products are all positive steps. But the US has not yet endorsed a cap on plastic production.
The growing environmental and health risks posed by microplastics can only be addressed by reducing the amount of plastic produced and ensuring that all of it is recycled.
Millions of people are being urged to take part in Plastic Free July. Yet we know consumer choice is only one part of the picture. Eliminating plastic waste requires broader structural change.
Retail stores in Boulder, Colo., banned plastic bags and will charge 10 cents for paper bags in an effort to reduce plastic waste. But do bans and taxes like this really work?
United Nations efforts to advance a global treaty on plastic pollution echo past multilateral agreements that tackled ozone layer depletion and acid rain.
The new ban will raise awareness about the plastic crisis. But failing to provide viable alternatives may simply displace the problem, instead of addressing it
Canada is seen as leading the way in banning single-use plastics. But how comprehensive are these actions, and how realistic is the dream of a zero-waste future?
Companies like it when your phone breaks and you have to buy another. But we’d all save a lot of money if we could actually repair the things we purchased.
Elsa Dominish, University of Technology Sydney; Fiona Berry, University of Technology Sydney; Nick Florin, University of Technology Sydney, and Rupert Legg, University of Technology Sydney
Compostable food waste bin caddies are the main sustainable use for bioplastics at present. Almost all bioplastics are ending up in landfill.