Earth Is Drowning in Plastic. Can an International Treaty Help?
A marine scientist discusses the problem of plastic pollution and her hopes for an international treaty to tackle it
Plastic
First Comprehensive Plastics Database Tallies Staggering 16,000 Chemicals—And It’s Still Incomplete
A massive new dataset highlights more than 4,200 plastic chemicals linked to health and environmental risks. But scientists say there are still large gaps in the scientific understanding of plastic ingredients
What Does Plastic Do to the Endocrine System?
Mounting evidence shows the endocrine-disrupting chemicals in plastics are harmful to human health
Microplastics Linked to Heart Attack, Stroke and Death
People who had tiny plastic particles lodged in a key blood vessel were more likely to experience serious health problems or die during a three-year study
Plankton Are Making Ocean Plastic Pollution Even More of a Mess
Microbes tear up plastic into teeny tiny pieces that are even more dangerous to ecosystems
Fossil-Fuel Interests Try to Weaken Global Plastics Treaty
Good news: the world is discussing a treaty to stem plastic pollution. Bad news: fossil-fuel interests are trying to weaken it
Surprising Creatures Lurk in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
In the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, plastic creates strange communities that bring coastal and open-ocean animals together
Spray-On, Rinse-Off Food ‘Wrapper’ Can Cut Plastic Packaging
The coating deters microorganisms to fight both food waste and foodborne illness
‘Superworms’ Eat—and Survive on—Polystyrene
Identifying the gut microbes in plastic-munching beetle larvae illuminates bacteria that could help degrade plastic waste
Countries Pave the Way to End Plastic Pollution
The U.N. passed a resolution yesterday to develop a global treaty to control plastic waste
We Need a Global Plastics Treaty to Stop an Environmental Disaster
Truly global participation in the process will create more than just a Paris Agreement for plastics
How Airborne Microplastics Affect Climate Change
Like other aerosols, these tiny particles scatter and absorb sunlight, influencing Earth’s temperature