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LOS ANGELES, California (AFP) — Garbage be gone: California Thursday passed an ambitious law mandating reduction of non-recyclable plastic by at least 30 percent in six years, while also placing responsibility on producers. The measure is meant to tackle the persistent problem of plastic refuse — in California, about 85 percent of plastic waste ends up in landfills, according to the CalMatters publication. “California won’t tolerate plastic waste that’s filling our waterways and making […]
by Nick Perry Agence France-Presse NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) – “Plastic still has value,” said Nzambi Matee of the mountains of discarded oil drums, laundry buckets, yoghurt tubs and other trash being shredded into colourful flakes at her Nairobi factory. “I believe that plastic is one of the misunderstood materials.” The 30-year-old Kenyan engineer and inventor would know: her start-up recycles tonnes of plastic destined for landfill into eco-friendly bricks that are stronger, cheaper and lighter […]
WASHINGTON, D.C., United States (AFP) – Most plastic “advanced recycling” plants in the United States aren’t actually recycling plastic but instead converting it into a dirty fuel, while producing toxic waste in low-income communities, a study by a leading environmental group said Monday. Advanced recycling, also known as chemical recycling, is a relatively new technique touted by industry groups that breaks plastic down to its molecular building blocks. It is said to be able to […]
PARIS, France (AFP) – Less than 10 percent of the plastic used across the world is recycled, the OECD said Tuesday, calling for “coordinated and global solutions” ahead of expected talks on an international treaty on the issue. A new report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report found that 460 million tonnes of plastics were used last year, the number nearly doubling since 2000. The amount of plastic waste had more than doubled […]
by Aymen Jamli and Amal Belalloufi Agence France-Presse MGHIRA, Tunisia (AFP) – “When I see plastic, I see money,” says Tarek Masmoudi, owner of one of the few recycling companies in Tunisia, where a waste crisis is threatening widespread social unrest. Recycling is almost non-existent in the North African country, which produces 2.6 million tonnes of waste each year. Some 85 percent of that ends up in landfills, while much of the rest winds up […]
by Natalia Cano Agence France-Presse MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexico’s ban on single-use plastic in its capital, one of the world’s most populous metropolises, has delighted environmentalists but dismayed some businesses struggling to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Home to around nine million people, Mexico City generates about 13,000 tons of solid waste every day. The new rules, which are being phased in, ban the use of disposable plastic items such as cutlery, plates, […]
by Amélie BOTTOLLIER-DEPOIS PARIS, France (AFP) — Bottle-fed babies may ingest more than a million pieces of microplastics each day, new research showed Monday highlighting the abundance of plastics in our food products. There is growing evidence that humans consume huge numbers of the tiny particles, formed when larger pieces of plastic break down, but very little is known about the knock-on health consequences. Researchers in Ireland looked at the rate of microplastic release in […]
By Pierre-Henry DESHAYES Agence France-Presse FETSUND, Norway (AFP) — One at a time, the elderly lady places her empties into the gaping hole of a machine at the entrance to an Oslo supermarket. With a well-functioning deposit system, Norway recycles almost all of its plastic bottles. “You have to get rid of them, so you may as well do it intelligently,” says the woman in her 70s, as the machine spits out a bar-code ticket that […]
by Pablo IZMIRLIAN Agence France-Presse PIRIÁPOLIS, Uruguay (AFP) — On a hot summer’s day in southern Uruguay, Graciela Martinez weighs her plastic waste before dropping it in a designated container by the beach. In return, she’ll receive some virtual money on her phone that she can use for discounts on purchases at restaurants or partnered shops. It’s part of a pilot environmental project called “Plasticoin” aimed at encouraging plastic recycling in the South American country. […]
(Eagle News) — A portion of the Skyway in Pandacan, Manila which is still under construction collapsed because of the huge blaze that engulfed a plastic factory warehouse of San Miguel Corporation on Saturday, Feb. 1. The fire started at past 10 a.m. and was placed under Task Force Bravo at 11:05 a.m. The warehouse security personnel assured that the workers inside the factory were able to go out of the premises as soon […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) – Scientists will begin a two-year survey of microplastics in the coastal waters of Japan from April, a research group announced on Wednesday, with concern growing about the impact of plastics on the oceans. The survey organized by Japanese scientists and the Tara Ocean Foundation will be conducted by several marine research facilities located across Japan, from the northern island of Hokkaido to southwestern Kyushu. Researchers will collect samples for analysis of microplastics […]
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) – German sportswear giant Adidas said Tuesday more than half of the polyester used in its products this year would come from recycled material, including millions of shoes made from plastic waste. In 2020, the share of recycled polyester in Adidas products will “exceed 50 percent for the first time”, the company said in a statement. By 2024, Adidas “is committed to using only recycled polyester” across its entire range of […]
