Plastic Pollution

'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.

In pictures: Meet Senegal's 'Plastic Man' who is on a mission

On a plastic-littered beach in Senegal, a lone man has a mission: to warn people of the dangers of relying on plastics.

Viruses cling onto plastic to survive in freshwater

Microplastics in wastewater treatment plants carry intestinal viruses such as rotavirus up to three days and create significant health risks, a study finds.

The Arctic no longer a ‘largely untouched wilderness’, study warns

An international new study finds that plastic pollutants are found in Arctic waters, Arctic organisms and Arctic ice, cautioning that more regulations and control mechanisms are needed.

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.

‘Critical milestone’: UN member states confront plastic pollution

The WWF commends United Nations member states for taking a huge step towards fighting plastic pollution at the UN Environment Assembly on March 2, 2022, while remaining cautious about the roadmap ahead.

UN begins negotiating 'historic' global treaty on plastic pollution

Negotiators have been given a broad mandate to target plastic trash in all its forms — not just bottles and straws in the ocean, but invisible microplastics polluting the air, soil and food chain.

‘Omnipresence’: How far has the nanoplastics threat gone?

Contaminants that have emerged as a result of human activity continue to reach even the most remote parts of the world, with scientists recently finding decades old nanoplastics in the north and south pole.

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.

US is 'world's biggest' plastic waste contributor

US contributed around 42 million metric tonnes in plastic waste in 2016 –– more than twice as much as China and more than EU countries combined, a new report shows.

Plastic pollution threatens migratory species in Asia-Pacific: UN

Plastic particles have infiltrated even the most remote and seemingly-pristine regions of the planet, with tiny fragments discovered inside fish in the deepest recesses of the ocean and peppering Arctic sea ice, according to a latest UN report.

Oman to ban single-use plastic bags from next year

"Companies and establishments are prohibited from using single-use plastic bags with the aim to protect the Omani environment," the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs said in a statement.