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Articles on Plastic recycling

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Peter Endig via Getty Images

How life-cycle assessments can be (mis)used to justify more single-use plastic packaging

Life-cycle assessments of food packaging often omit the impact and possible toxicity of plastics leaking into the environment. Excluding these factors gives plastics an unjustified advantage.
Plastic waste that started as packaging clogs tropical landfills. apomares/Getty Images

The first step in managing plastic waste is measuring it – here’s how we did it for one Caribbean country

To manage plastic wastes, nations first need to know what they have and where it’s coming from. A case study from Trinidad and Tobago shows how this approach can help identify solutions.
Since the Chinese plastic recycling market closed, 58% of New Zealand’s plastic waste goes to countries in South-East Asia. from www.shutterstock.com

Why municipal waste-to-energy incineration is not the answer to NZ’s plastic waste crisis

Waste-to-energy incineration has been raised as a solution to the global plastic waste problem, but the technology adds pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and encourages more waste production.
Plastic waste from Australia in Port Klang, Malaysia. Malaysia says it will send back some 3,300 tons of nonrecyclable plastic waste to countries including the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia. AP Photo/Vincent Thian

As more developing countries reject plastic waste exports, wealthy nations seek solutions at home

A year after China stopped accepting most scrap material exports, other Asian countries are following Beijing’s lead, forcing wealthy nations to find domestic solutions for managing their wastes.
This biodegradable plastic bag had plenty of life left in it, even after three years. Lloyd Russell/University of Plymouth

When biodegradable plastic is not biodegradable

Biodegradable bags still strong enough to carry shopping after three years in the ground show that ‘biodegradability’ isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

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