Quick Dips
Curated topical articles on the Blue Economy

What Is the Environmental Cost of Bottled Water?

Olivia Rosane, EcoWatch Plastics & Pollution

Is it better for your health and the environment to drink water from a plastic bottle or from a tap?

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This is how New Zealand is tackling plastic pollution

Farrelly, T. et al., World Economic Forum Plastics & Pollution

After banning plastic bags last year, New Zealand now proposes to regulate single-use plastic packaging and to ban various hard-to-recycle plastics and single-use plastic items.

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We analysed data from 29,798 clean-ups around the world to uncover some of the worst litter hotspots

Roman, L. et al., The Conversation Plastics & Pollution

Coastal litter is a big environmental problem. But how does this litter differ around the world, and why? In the first global analysis of its kind, we set out to answer those questions using data collected by thousands of citizen scientists.

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Reusable containers aren’t always better for the environment than disposable ones - new research

Schmid, A.G., et al., The Conversation Plastics & Pollution

Our research set out to understand how many times you have to reuse a container for it to be the more eco-friendly choice, in the context of the takeaway food industry.

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If We Want to Fix the Plastic Waste Crisis, We Need to Fix Our Data

World Wildlife Fund Plastics & Pollution

A global reporting mechanism to ensure accurate and consistent waste management monitoring is essential to address the disparities in our understanding of plastic mismanagement and facilitate effective mitigation.

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How a 'trash-to-treasure' mentality can change plastic waste

Emma Samson, World Economic Forum Plastics & Pollution

To build a trash-to-treasure or waste-to-product mindset, the financial and sustainability benefits must be better understood by plastic producers.

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Can We Fix Recycling? Some Companies Are Trying

Tiffany Duong, EcoWatch Plastics & Pollution

The recycling industry in America is broken, but some companies are trying to make it better.

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Welcome to the ‘plastisphere’: the synthetic ecosystem evolving at sea

Russell Thomas, The Guardian Plastics & Pollution

Ocean plastic has created a unique home for specialised organisms, from animals that travel on it to bacteria that ‘eat’ it

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From Pollution to Performance Wear: Fair-Trade Clothes Made From 100% Ocean Plastic

Tiffany Duong, EcoWatch Plastics & Pollution

Pound-for-pound, Sea Threads is making a difference for our ocean ー literally.

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The Dangers of Runoff From Land

Tiffany Duong, EcoWatch Plastics & Pollution

Runoff becomes a problem when stormwater picks up potential pollutants as it flows overland.

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Life in plastic: The journey of plastic from origin to ocean

World Ocean Initiative, The Economist Group Plastics & Pollution

Developing effective solutions to curb plastic pollution requires a deeper understanding of the journey of plastic waste.

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Breathing life into plastic waste

The Economist, World Ocean Initiative Plastics & Pollution

There is significant value to extract from plastic waste. Scaling up advanced chemical recycling technologies could help close the loop and create a circular system for plastic waste that is currently leaking into the ocean.

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The ocean is full of tiny plastic particles – we found a way to track them with satellites

Christopher Ruf, The Conversation Plastics & Pollution

To understand how microplastic pollution is affecting the ocean, scientists need to know how much is there and where it is accumulating.

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Call for global treaty to end production of ‘virgin’ plastic by 2040

Sandra Laville, The Guardian Plastics & Pollution

Scientists say agreement must cover extraction of raw materials and pollution that blights seas and land.

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A ‘dating site’ with a difference that’s pairing waste with recycling opportunities

Douglas Broom, World Economic Forum Plastics & Pollution

How can we stop our waste ending up in landfill or even the ocean? The answer is to match material with the people who can reuse it.

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8 amazing solutions to stop plastic flowing into the world’s oceans

Johnny Wood, World Economic Forum Plastics & Pollution

River clean-ups help reduce the volume of plastic waste that reaches our oceans.

Innovative ideas and science are helping community leaders and policymakers tackle the plastic-waste problem.

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How to boost collaboration to curb plastic pollution in emerging markets

World Ocean Initiative Plastics & Pollution

Recent webinar discusses collaboration along the value chain to improve waste management and change consumer habits.

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Here's why human-centered design is required for marine plastic innovation

Constance Agyeman, GreenBiz Plastics & Pollution

Using a human-centered approach to innovation can help us to address both issues at once — reducing marine plastic pollution while empowering women.

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Hidden Microplastics in the Fabrics of our Lives

Oceanic Global Plastics & Pollution

Hidden plastics surround us, leaching into the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe…but where is all of this plastic coming from?

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Here are some of the most exciting green Technology Pioneers of 2021

Sean Fleming, World Economic Forum Energy Solutions Fisheries & Aquaculture Plastics & Pollution

The 2021 World Economic Forum Technology Pioneers list has been announced, featuring a diverse and inclusive line-up.

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