Quick Dips
Curated topical articles on the Blue Economy

Airborne plastic pollution ‘spiralling around the globe’, study finds

Damian Carrington, The Guardian Plastics & Pollution

Rising levels of microplastic pollution raise questions about the impact on human health, experts say.

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4 Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution

Carole Excell, World Resources Institute Plastics & Pollution

A whopping 8 million tons of plastic winds up in the ocean each year, endangering wildlife and polluting ecosystems.

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How can we better dispose of PPE so it doesn’t keep polluting our oceans?

Talib Visram, Fast Company Plastics & Pollution

It’s another sad reality of the COVID-19 era that some of the steps we’re taking to stay safe and combat the coronavirus spread are often in opposition to hard-fought efforts to curb the use of plastics for a cleaner planet.

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New surveys reveal heightened concern about ocean pollution

World Ocean Initiative, The Economist Group Energy Solutions Plastics & Pollution

The Economist Intelligence Unit surveyed more than 1,000 global executives and 3,000 consumers.

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Plastic pollution disproportionately hitting marginalized groups, UN environment report finds

UN News Plastics & Pollution

Vulnerable communities disproportionately bear the brunt of environmental degradation caused by plastics pollution, and action is urgently needed to address the issue and restore access to human rights, health and well-being, according to a new UN report published on Tuesday.

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Sir David Attenborough Backs New Tech That Can Recycle All Plastics

David Vetter, Forbes Plastics & Pollution

Wildlife filmmaker Sir David Attenborough has appeared in a video campaign for a new plastic recycling technology in the U.K., alongside other naturalists calling for stronger protections for the world’s oceans.

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The future of the plastics industry is green

Mikhail Karisalov, World Economic Forum Plastics & Pollution

The transition to a green economy will impact the global petrochemical industry.

We need a systems-level approach from companies and governments worldwide to address plastic and protect our environment.

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U.S. Continues to Ship Illegal Plastic Waste to Developing Countries

Tiffany Duong, EcoWatch Plastics & Pollution Shipping & Ports

The majority of the world is working together to reverse the massive plastic pollution problem. But, the world's leading producer of plastic waste, the U.S., isn't on board and isn't following the rules.

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Covid-19 worsened the single-use plastics problem. Here’s why it could also fuel solutions

Melissa Repko & Emma Newburger, CNBC Plastics & Pollution

The pandemic disrupted retailers’ efforts to reduce use of non-recyclable plastics, from grocery bags to plastic forks.

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6 environmental documentaries we all need to see

Adrian Lobb, The Big Issue Plastics & Pollution

Ahead of Global Recycling Day, we take a look at some of the most vital environmental documentaries ever made.

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Plastic bags recycled into fabric to fight pollution

Helen Briggs, BBC Plastics & Pollution

Scientists have made fabrics from polythene in a move they say could reduce plastic pollution and make the fashion industry more sustainable.

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California Lawmakers Propose Package of New Laws Tackling Plastic Waste Reduction

Senator Ben Allen, California Plastics & Pollution

While celebrating advocacy for protection of natural resources during Ocean Day at the State Capitol, legislators announced a package of bills to address the mounting waste crisis affecting California’s coastline, landfills, and ratepayers.

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Could plastic roads make for a smoother ride?

Chermaine Lee, BBC Energy Solutions Plastics & Pollution

From lower carbon emissions to fewer potholes, there are a number of benefits to building a layer of plastic into roads.

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5 Not-So-Fun Facts About Plastics in the Arctic

Sarah Bobbe, Ocean Conservancy Plastics & Pollution

Even the remote Arctic marine ecosystem has a plastics problem.

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Where does plastic pollution go when it enters the ocean?

Sutherland, B. et al., The Conversation Plastics & Pollution

Of the hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic waste we produce each year, it’s estimated that around ten million tonnes enters the ocean.

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Dispatch: eXXpedition's First Virtual Voyage is Complete

Plastic Pollution Coalition Plastics & Pollution

Jackie Nuñez, Founder of The Last Plastic Straw and Advocacy Program Manager at Plastic Pollution Coalition, was selected to embark on leg 15 of the eXXpedition, an all-women voyage to document plastic pollution in the world’s oceans.

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Hidden pollution from shipping threatens sustainable ocean efforts

University of Portsmouth, Phys Org Plastics & Pollution Shipping & Ports

Ships are the polluting 'elephants in the room' nobody is talking about despite a global drive to make oceans cleaner, according to new research.

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Chemistry can help make plastics sustainable — but it isn’t the whole solution

Editorial, Nature Plastics & Pollution

How to make plastics less harmful is an urgent question in chemistry — and must be for policy, too.

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How Can Governments and Economies Prevent Ghost Gear?

Ingrid Giskes, Ocean Conservancy Plastics & Pollution

Like all of the threats that face our ocean, ghost gear is a problem that does not recognize borders. A piece of fishing gear that snags on a ship in Canada can travel hundreds of miles before finding its way to a reef in Mexico, where it can “ghost fish” for decades on end.

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Is It Possible to Forever Rid the World of Single-Use Plastic Bags?

Edith Cecchini, Ocean Conservancy Plastics & Pollution

Four takeaways from Ocean Conservancy’s engagement with the Beyond the Bag Initiative.

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