Quick Dips
Curated topical articles on the Blue Economy

UNDP launches second cohort of Ocean Innovators

Sangita Khadka Energy Solutions Fisheries & Aquaculture Plastics & Pollution

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) introduces its second cohort of 10 ocean innovators.

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New Wood Chip Carrier Will Collect Ocean Microplastics

Marine Technology News Plastics & Pollution Shipping & Ports

News story on a new wood chip carrier which will collect ocean microplastics.

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5 innovators adding value to plastic waste and improving working conditions

Seruni Putri Soewondo, World Economic Forum Plastics & Pollution

Plastic waste pollution in Southeast Asia is at alarming levels and thus calls for urgent solutions.

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Plastic pollution: These are the top emitters of microplastics in our oceans

Martin Armstrong, Statista Plastics & Pollution

This statista article by The World Economic Forum explores the top emitters of microplastics in our oceans.

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Ocean plastic pollution: investing for social and financial returns

Ellen Martin, World Ocean Initiative Plastics & Pollution

A guest blog by World Ocean Summit Asia-Pacific speaker Ellen Martin, chief impact officer at Circulate Capital.

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So much plastic pours into the sea every year that species are now endemic to it.

Chris Michael, The Guardian Plastics & Pollution

A new Guardian series looks at where it comes from, the harm it does and what can be done about it.

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Turning the Tide on Ocean Plastics by Using Waste as a Resource

Hal Partenheimer, Plastics Today Plastics & Pollution

Recycling ocean plastics and converting the waste into new products is still in its infancy, but organizations, startups, and established companies around the world are starting to make waves.

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A U.K. startup is building the world’s largest algae farm that each year will capture CO2 equal to the emissions of 8,000 cars

Bernhard Warner, Fortune Energy Solutions Plastics & Pollution

For decades, scientists have been studying the wondrous carbon sequestration powers of marine algae.

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Our waste is valuable: how one company is creating a circular economy for plastics

Emmanuel Ladent, World Economic Forum Plastics & Pollution

With Carbios’s solution, we finally found a biological way to reuse plastic waste.

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Mangroves and Coral Reefs Yield Positive Return on Investment for Flood Protection, Study Finds

Cristen Hemingway Jaynes Plastics & Pollution

Researchers have found that mangroves and coral reefs can be cost-effective in reducing coastal flooding.

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Plastitar: mix of tar and microplastics is new form of pollution, say scientists

Ashifa Kassam, The Guardian Plastics & Pollution

Researchers in Canary Islands coin term for new type of marine pollution they say could be leaking toxic chemicals into oceans.

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World Oceans Day: Biden Admin Announces National Parks’ Plastic Phaseout, New Marine Sanctuary

Olivia Rosane, EcoWatch Plastics & Pollution

The Biden administration announced new steps to protect the nation’s oceans in honor of both National Ocean Month and World Ocean Day.

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Which priorities should a global plastic pollution treaty focus on? 5 leaders weigh in

Kristin Hughes, World Economic Forum Plastics & Pollution

Here is what five leaders believe are the priorities and perspectives a global treaty on plastic pollution offers.

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Lampposts, rings, cameras: over 25,000 pounds of junk cleared from Lake Tahoe

Katharine Gammon, The Guardian Plastics & Pollution

The cleanup was undertaken by a California non-profit which hired scuba divers to clean the top 25ft of the lake.

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Corals and Sea Anemones Turn Sunscreen into Toxins—Understanding How Could Help Save Coral Reefs

Djordje Vuckovic & Bill Mitch, The Scientist Plastics & Pollution

Researchers have long suspected that an ingredient in sunscreen called oxybenzone was harming corals, but no one knew how. A new study shows how corals turn oxybenzone into a sunlight-activated toxin.

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U.S. plastic recycling rate drops to close to 5%

Valerie Volcovici, Reuters Plastics & Pollution

The decline coincides with a sharp drop in plastic waste exports, which had counted as recycled plastic.

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How liberating ocean data will equip companies to avoid illegally caught seafood in their supply chains

Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford Plastics & Pollution

A new report outlines how ocean data transparency can enable companies to avoid produce from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and instead choose sustainable and ethical products throughout their supply chains.

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Fish on drugs: cocktail of medications is ‘contaminating ocean food chain’

Salomé Gómez-Upegui, The Guardian Fisheries & Aquaculture Plastics & Pollution

Study in Florida finds ‘widespread’ traces of a total of 58 medications including heart drugs, opioids, antidepressants and antifungals in increasingly rare bonefish and their prey.

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Can brands make reusable packaging more attractive than single-use plastic? NFTs could be the answer

Emma Samson, World Economic Forum Plastics & Pollution

The reusable packaging market could be a $10 billion opportunity to eliminate single-use plastic.

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Disease-causing parasites can hitch a ride on plastics and potentially spread through the sea, new research suggests

Karen Shapiro & Emma Zhang, The Conversation Plastics & Pollution

Typically when people hear about plastic pollution, they might envision seabirds with bellies full of trash or sea turtles with plastic straws in their noses.

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