Plastic

'High and low-ambition' countries split over plastic pollution treaty

Delegates from more than 150 countries, plastic industry representatives, environmentalists, scientists, waste pickers, tribal leaders end negotiations in Uruguay to draft what is intended to be a landmark treaty to end plastic pollution globally.

India imposes ban on many single-use plastics to tackle waste

For the first stage, Delhi has identified 19 plastic items that have a high potential to become litter and has made it illegal to produce, import, stock, distribute or sell them.

Scientists detect microplastics in human blood for first time

A Dutch study published in the Environment International journal examined blood samples from 22 anonymous, healthy volunteers and found microplastics in nearly 80 percent of them.

Clogging waterways, choking animals: Why we need a global plastics treaty

Over 700 organisations across the globe have urged the United Nations to establish an international treaty to address plastic pollution ahead of a bloc meeting.

‘If plastic were a country, it would be fifth highest emitter in the world’

A material whose use has rapidly grown in the past century, plastic is a massive contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and ecological pollution, WWF warns.

Plastics aren’t going anywhere. Should Turkey stop importing them?

After China’s refusal to take in the world’s plastic waste, Turkey and a few other countries have stepped in. With the environment being the biggest victim, Turkey is now eyeing zero plastic imports.

Is the pandemic setting us back in the fight against plastic?

The coronavirus may have cleared the air for many big cities, but our reliance on plastic to protect ourselves from Covid-19, may prove dangerous for the environment.

In pictures: Masks people wear to avoid Covid-19

Here's how people across the world are developing their own ways to fight coronavirus infection:

Going meme: Thai shoppers get creative after plastic bag ban

Customers can now pay a small fee for reusables but budget-conscious shoppers saved money by grabbing anything available and celebrating the different choices on social media.

Panama becomes first Central American nation to ban plastic bags

The isthmus nation of roughly 4 million people joined more than 60 other countries that have totally or partially banned single-use plastic bags, or introduced taxes to dissuade their use, including Chile and Colombia in the region.

EU parliament approves ban on single-use plastics

Plastic items such as straws, forks and knives as well as cotton buds will be banned in EU by 2021 as the economic bloc pushes manufacturers to step up their recycling efforts.

Can EU end single-use plastics?

Members of the European Parliament seek to curb plastics waste, targeting in particular single-use plastic litter that is polluting Europe's beaches and seas.