The Worlds Largest Oil Field: Can the Saudis Wean Themselves. Learn more about the eight innovators that are making an impact on the ground to fight plastic pollution: Siklus is reinventing the future of retail in Indonesia by delivering refills of everyday needs to people's doors - without plastic waste. What makes this technology so unique is its versatile nature. We use. While there are ways in which individuals can reduce their use of plastic in their daily activity, science and technology have allowed us to push the boundaries of what we thought was possible. To Arellano, the work was all about the pollution until they realized that the pollution coming from the refineries was connected to the making of plastic. 1. A darkly pigmented species of fungus, known as Aspergillus Tubingensis, has been found to contain agents that can degrade polyurethane (PU). And buy the thinnest reusable bag that you know, youll actually reuse. Since the pandemic, 50 U.S. cities moved away from plastic regulation. NADJA: Where did you get your hands on a peer-reviewed study? There was a 72 percent drop in grocery bag litter in the state just one year after it was fully implemented. Plastic Bank aims to make plastic too valuable to throw away. They act as, a convenience store for the worlds poor communities. It will require governments at both the national and sub-national levels to tackle the regulation of single-use plastic products, determining what policy approaches they want to use and what type of legislation will support their objectives. You can conceive of the possibility of collecting plastic bags from the ocean, but microplastics are almost impossible to remove from their environments. Heres Why That Matters. ETHAN: Beyond climate though, crackers cause a lot of issues for surrounding communities. Each year, close to 20 billion plastic bottles are tossed in the trash. The plastics lobby, along with supermarkets in countries from Austria to Spain, sometimesavoidthisresponsibility bylobbying againstdeposit return schemes that include plastic bottles. LASZLO: Am I? One of the most important scientific solutions to plastic pollution that have emerged is the plastic-eating enzyme. The fungus could be used to break down plastic in landfill. Or, another idea, what if plastic could be made directly from carbon dioxide that we suck from the atmosphere? Not only is it healthier, but making your own meals doesnt involve takeout containers or doggy bags. ETHAN: That new ban was signed into law on September 30, and the fact that it was in the news goes to show that even with all the other things going on in the world, people are paying attention to this issue. Not only do these present a greener and more sustainable solution to our plastic waste problem, but also reduce our dependency on fossil fuels-based plastics. Americans consume more than 10 billion paper bags annually, which is equivalent to 14 million trees. In 1907 the invention of Bakelite brought about a revolution in materials by introducing truly synthetic plastic resins into world commerce. The lightweight packets that keep food and snacks likes chips or chocolate bars fresh, constitute around 40% of the world's plastic packaging, according to Defruyt. Urge your elected officials to follow the lead of those in San Francisco, Chicago, and close to 150 other cities and counties by introducing or supporting legislation that would make plastic-bag use less desirable. And I also looked at not just shopping at a supermarket across the border but also eating out Instead of grocery shopping, and I do find that there is this, you know, substitution, this cross border shopping, some people do try to avoid going to, you know, regulated supermarkets, especially if they live near a border, where they can easily get to another another grocery store, while other customers if they dont live near a border, they might be slightly more likely to decide to eat out for dinner as opposed to grocery shopping, especially if they didnt bring their bags with them or that party. On one hand, we are reducing the amount of litter. Plastic, on the other hand, lasts for a long time. The worlds rivers, oceans and seas have been acting as convenient transport vectors as well as dumping sites for plastic produced by human activity. And there, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it will remain for hundreds of years. Through a process similar to a commercial-sized pressure-cooker, it reduces plastic to its component parts, producing a range of materials including oils, waxes and plastics that can be turned into other plastic products or fuels. The first road in Zwolle is 30m long and contains the recycled plastic equivalent of over 218,000 plastic cups or 500,000 plastic bottle caps. Now, a new law hopes to take things a step further by banning these: single-use plastic pre-checkout bags that are not recyclable and can contaminate compost facilities. This discrepancy is known as the 'missing plastic problem' and is discussed h e re. And so many of these supermarkets have actually rolled back their policies. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Cracker plants release air pollutants such as benzene which is linked to cancer and childhood leukemia, toluene which is linked to birth defects and brain, liver, and kidney problems, formaldehyde which is a known carcinogen, and particulate matter which is linked to cardiovascular and respiratory disease and lung and bladder cancer. Different rates apply to different plastic packaging materials, with the lowest rate for recycled plastics and the highest rate for primary plastics. Now thats just one set of data, but I hope my point is clear: the production of our plastic bags causes harmful air pollution, and that pollution disproportionately hits low income and minority communities. More plastic recycling and innovative approaches to it are a key part of, but not a complete solution to, solving plastic waste problems, experts told a US congressional panel June 24. So the best thing we can do to protect our waterways is try to keep as much plastic as possible out of the waste stream in the first place. That way youre reducing the amount of material thats going into the product, but you still want it to be something that youll actually find convenient and reuse with you. Those are the kinds of topics that I focus on in my research. For years, Arellano helped these communities in their fight for clean air and water but did so without realizing what those petrochemical plants were making. Polystyrene foam, like that used for meat packaging or egg cartons, is not recyclable unless a drop-off location exists in your area. [wrong buzz, rewind] Cracker? Whats more? WRI relies on the generosity of donors like you to turn research into action. Whos building these things, Triscuit? Plastics have even been found in people's bodies and in the air. Those little plastic scrubbers found in so many beauty productsfacial scrubs, toothpaste, body washesmight look harmless, but their tiny size allows them to slip through water-treatment plants. Of those 48, 16 had publicly available air pollution data, so I took a look at that group. In December, the city of Vancouver, Canada postponed fees for disposable cups and its ban on plastic shopping bags for more than one year. Wow, that was a tough one. The audio portion of this episode was produced by Audrey Nguyen. ITS PAPER. Newuniversal plastic regulations are currently being negotiatiated as part ofa global plastics treatyaiming to streamline theproduction, useandreuseof plastic using a circular economymodel. To learn more about the ins and outs of what's recyclable, what's not and why, check out this NPR interactive. With respect to the bonuses we talked about. hide caption. A project known as PlasticRoad, created a bike path in the Dutch city of Zwolle and a road in Overjissel in 2018 using 70% recycled plastic. They offer an alternative by replacing low value . And sort of the bottom line, what I found with in terms of like the amount of plastic, was about a third of the plastic that was eliminated by the carry out bag ban came back in the form of garbage bags, which do tend to be a bit thicker than the carry out bags. And thats actually increasing the carbon footprint. Chevron Phillips Chemical's new $6 billion plastic manufacturing plant rises from the skyline in Sweeny, Texas. Every year, around 500 billion plastic grocery bags are used worldwide. Another very important tip, Harrison says, is to keep plastic bags of all kinds out of your recycling bin. The coronavirus pandemic has revealed the importance of the short-term use of plastic to curb outbreaks and help people feel safe. Portugal and Denmark have used these economic instruments effectively to increase the use of reusable and recycled products, respectively. Chhotray notes that you're likely to find a lot of plastic in the kitchen and the bathroom. Jenkins is in the process of testing the fungus on PET and PU plastic and discovered the fungus to populate as it consumes more plastic, potentially creating a new source of biomaterial for food, or feed stocks for animals, or antibiotics. Thats right, nothing like getting high on your own supply. Another idea to come from the Netherlands is a project called PlasticRoad. Maybe call the manager over or fly the CEO in on a helicopter or pull the fire alarm so everyone starts screaming and running. [booo] Yeah, that was even rough for my standards. Microplastics can be ingested by anyone from seabirds to fish to even humans through our food and water, and can cause health issues, reduce appetites, and even increase the risk of mortality. The Cat-HTR chemically recycles mixed plastics without the need to separate the different plastic types. A new legislative guide launched today by UNEP and WRI digs deep into how the law can be used to tackle plastic pollution and support a circular plastics economy. The company works with local seaweed farmers to create sandwich and burger wraps, sachets for flavouring and coffee, and soap packaging, all made out of seaweed. In all seriousness, theres drawbacks here too. Logos 1996. And an estimated 10 million tons of plastic are discarded in the ocean yearly. ETHAN: The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise: a public media initiative from The WNET Group in New York, reporting on the issues and solutions around climate change. Supplementary efforts that support these approaches are also essential, like consumer education programs, public procurement requirements, investment in waste management infrastructure and public-private partnerships. Using NASA satellite technology to track ocean plastic pollution and microplastics. And now theyre using a thicker product with more packaging. In 2018 though, 68.1 percent of paper consumed in the United States was recovered for recycling, which is a really impressive number, although its worth noting that paper fibers become weaker each time theyre recycled, so there are still limitations to that. In all fairness, every material has a climate impact, and high-density polyethylene is not that bad if you stack its carbon footprint against other materials or even other plastics. Because of that, the climate impact of a cotton tote is 131 times that of a plastic bag, and its overall environmental impact is thousands of times worse. I asked Dr. Taylor how we can account for the cost of alternatives when we create policies to address plastic bags. Of those 48, 16 had publicly available air pollution data, so I took a look at that group. But in terms of plastic, you are correct. Youre being ridiculous. Barriers to a Circular Economy: 5 Reasons the World Wastes So Much Stuff (and Why It's Not Just the Consumer's Fault), How to Reduce Plastic and Other Ocean Pollution Simultaneously, 6 Ways to Remove Carbon Pollution from the Atmosphere, The Marshall Islands, for instance, in 2016 instituted a ban on the importation, manufacture, sale or distribution of Styrofoam cups and plates; disposable plastic cups and plates; and plastic shopping bags while promoting recycled paper bags and reusable bags. Plastic, of course, is uniquely problematic because its nonbiodegradable and therefore sticks around for a lot longer (like up to 1,000 years longer) than other forms of trash. Will it be recycled? The analysis is the second in recent weeks to look ahead to the future of the plastic economy and conclude that correcting the waste problem40 percent of plastic manufactured today is. If not, maybe we should. And so my recommendation is to use as few bags as you can reuse the ones that you do purchase and purchase your bags, make it an active decision. Its like excuses for not doing your homework. One of the many scientific solutions to plastic pollution is to, , created a bike path in the Dutch city of Zwolle and a road in Overjissel in 2018 using 70% recycled plastic. Starbucks and Dunkin' put on hold the use of reusable containers. For example, Evowares edible seaweed-based Ello Jello cone can be up to five times more expensive than ordinary crepe cones. Their recycling ecosystem is sustained through the sale and use of what they call Social Plastic. For the specifics on your area, check out Earth911.orgs recycling directory. One goal of a global plastics treaty will be to harmonize these piecemeal bans into a coherent worldwide regulation. Seeing how nuanced this issue is, I asked Dr. Taylor what the next steps could look like. And the question that I had was, how does banning this plastic carry out bag affect the use of other types of plastic bags, and in particular, garbage bags, because as a consumer myself, I knew that I reused many of my carry out grocery bags as garbage bags. Here are 10 scientific solutions to plastic pollution. With new virgin plastic often cheaper than recycled material, plastic recycling is not economical, she said. Thanks to innovation and research, scientists have been able to pioneer ground-breaking technology to help collect and prevent plastic pollution. An accelerated transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies, the removal of subsidies and a shift towards circular approaches will help reduce plastic waste at the needed scale. But there is no time to have a slow reckoning on the long-term issue of plastic waste. You can try, but nine times out of ten, its going to rip your original in half. Wait, sorry, wrong kind of cracker. Did you just finish trick or treating? Now, Im not sure how far along plant plastic or CO2 plastic are in the development process, but certainly very exciting possibilities if they could scale up. It is a stretch of bike path in the Dutch city of Zwolle made of recycled plastic - and it is the first of its kind. Chhotray is a big fan of going reusable, and her backpack is proof: "I carry my reusable water bottle, my reusable tumbler because I'm a tea addict. In the case of using a tax, the government is also then able to raise some money, which can be used to either lower taxes elsewhere or go toward environmental cleanup efforts or most importantly, turning Niagara Falls into a waterslide. Plastics have even been found in people's bodies and in the air. Not only are there these human health concerns, but crackers and other petrochemical facilities are not located very fairly. NASAs Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, also known as CYGNSS, was originally created to predict hurricanes by monitoring tropical wind speed over the ocean. So put the right stuff in the recycling bin, and don't try to recycle items your county doesn't accept just because you put bubble wrap or a potato chip bag in the bin doesn't mean it's going to magically be recycled. But theres also so much nuance to this issue, and its important to consider these consequences of bag bans as we come up with the best possible solutions. In Japan 2016, a scientist discovered a plastic-eating enzyme that was capable of breaking down Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) the most commonly used type of plastic. First off, this sort of tax does hit low income communities the hardest, since they spend a larger percentage of their monthly income on food. But that tiny switch makes it so people dont feel different or left out if they dont have a straw. Over a period of time, humanity was able to phase out over 98% of the harmful substances that were causing the damage, preventing approximately 2 million cases of skin cancer as a result. NADJA: Will you at least go and talk to it? Eastern Hemlocks Are Declining. Can Cryptocurrency Rein In its Massive Energy Consumption? Animals can become entangled in the bags and drown or mistake the bags for food which can clog their intestines and cause them to starve. If you bring home a product you like but its package isn't recyclable, Harrison says to tell companies how you feel: "They're listening, more than ever before. However, today only 15% of plastic waste is recycled. And then if when those you know are no longer possible, can we recycle them? Its like trying to send paper through a really old copier. Over a period of time, humanity was able to phase out over 98% of the harmful substances that were causing the damage, preventing approximately 2 million cases of skin cancer as a result. This affects millions of people's livelihoods, food security and social well-being. debut in season five. Opt for products with natural exfoliants, like oatmeal or salt, instead. Only around five European countries are currently attempting to recycle these packets, noted DeFruyt. Here are five ways to. This experimental nanotechnology is able to break down microplastic in the water without causing any harm to marine life. The post-consumer plastic resin created from recycled material is being undercut by cheaper prime material, limiting the market for recycled plastics. A plastic alternative comprised of materialsproduced from renewable biomass sources. As great as it is to see policy efforts get going, we want to hold them accountable and make sure they actually make the biggest positive impact possible. The study also reinforces what marine scientists and other experts have long argued: that the ultimate solution to protecting oceans and freshwater systems is to contain plastic waste on. Some believe the solution to global plastic pollution is to simply reduce the amount of plastic that is being used. Yeah, that was even rough for my standards. Finding agents that can break down polymers would help vastly. The aim of Plastic Bank is to make plastic too valuable to throw away and turn it into a currency. I'm talking about the stuff that comes with food and bottled drinks, cosmetics, carryout containers, bags and wrappers more than 40% of all plastic made is packaging, which is used only once or twice before being thrown away. Each year, at least 14 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans,1 and the consequences for sealife are tragic, from choking turtles to poisoning whales. I'm no expert on the psychology of all this, but I do know that when something seems overwhelming, I'm tempted to give up on it altogether. You start growing weird pimples at 10, youre crying five times a week at 15, and by 20, someone has to carry you into a therapists office, throw you on the couch, and say its broken, fix it. For plastic though, 20 years is much less time than most other single-use plastic products. But University of Sydneys Dr. Rebecca Taylor says not so fast. This would include a global ban on products and materials made from hard-to-recycle plastics. The road uses 70 per cent recycled plastic, but subsequent versions plan to use 100 per cent recycled plastic. One weekend, environmental activist Shilpi Chhotray says, she put pen to paper and took an inventory of the plastic in her apartment, making a list of the various kinds: chip bags, condiment bottles, plastic wrap, etc. Yeet that wheat. [knock on door, door creaks open, then Laszlo starts coughing uncontrollably]. Plastic waste has been known as the most unsolved environmental problem in this world. According to Sander Defruyt, who leads the New Plastics Economy initiative at the US-based non-profit, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, recycled plastic would be more competitive if fossil fuel subsidies were phased out. Thank you all for listening, and Ill see you next week. A lot of people around the world are also concerned and are making decisions based on their concerns. PET is the most recyclable plastic and there is a strong market for its byproduct used to make drink bottles, food containers or fibers for clothes. There was a 72 percent drop in grocery bag litter in the state just one year after it was fully implemented. Here is a global solution to the plastic waste crisis - and A$443 million to get it started. Here are four policy and legal approaches from UNEP and WRI's guide that countries can use to reduce their plastic waste permanently: Bans and restrictions on single-use plastic products (that directly prohibit their production, distribution or use) are some of the most widely used and successful legal mechanisms by governments. They were reusing their carry out bags as garbage bags. And all of these materials do better? If you want to take two minutes to help out The Sweaty Penguin, you can either leave us a five star rating and review or join our Patreon at patreon.com/thesweatypenguin. Every time you need to process a new batch of polyethylene, you bring it to the facility and say, Polly want a cracker? [ding ding ding] Wow, that was a tough one. They work with local seaweed farmers to create a range of different types of packaging such as sandwich wraps, burger wraps, sachets for spices, and soap, which can be dissolved in hot water, and in some cases, edible. Your tip could appear in an upcoming episode. Obtain that grain. Plastic waste generation is strongly influenced by primary plastic use, but also the product lifetime. One of the many scientific solutions to plastic pollution is to convert waste into roads. Once you have your list, do a little more homework. So thats exactly what I did. In Japan 2016, a scientist discovered a plastic-eating enzyme that was capable of breaking down Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) the most commonly used type of plastic. One of the most overwhelming aspects of modern life, in my (Rebecca) opinion, is knowing about major global-impact issues like climate change and plastic waste pollution and feeling like there isn't much that I can do to really change things. ETHAN: After we drill and frack and insert other PG13 sounding term here, we have to actually turn our fossil fuels into polyethylene. 1. [slam the wrong buzz several times, then rewind] Okay, okay cracker? Search all of the site's content. But heres the buzz-killing reality: There are millions of tons of debris floating around in that waterand most of it is plastic. It only takes a few times of bringing your own bags to the store, silverware to the office, or travel mug to Starbucks before it becomes habit. TAYLOR: Yes. Put all that together, and National Geographic estimates that a paper bag would need to be used anywhere from 3 to 43 times in order to neutralize its environmental impact as compared to plastic. If they were going to use a slur for white people, why not name it Karen or Wonderbread? So Im trained in thinking about how People respond to environmental [00:00:32] policy and particular and the policies that I focused on have been around waste and food. Here are seven ways you can make a difference, starting today. And so when we think about these policies, were balancing these different environmental objectives. Bioplastics are made from renewable biomass, usually vegetable fats and oils, cassava starch, woodchips or food waste. With . Theyre less than five millimeters across and they are everywhere, from the oceans to mountaintops to the Arctic to our food and blood. But there is hope. Just because you see chasing arrows in the shape of a triangle and a number printed on the bottom of something doesn't mean it can actually be recycled. Slat has been both praised and criticised for his invention but, currently, it is a case of wait and see. Now, for various reasons, political reasons, taxes are often not favored by politicians, because people dont like the word tax. But the harder plastics numbered 3-7 have a very small market since the value of the raw material is lower than the cost of recycling. I mean, look at all the kids roaming the streets looking for water after eating a single Saltine. The road uses 70 per cent recycled plastic, but subsequent versions plan to use 100 per cent recycled plastic. We spoke with some people who've given this topic a lot of thought. And in particular, stores start offering thicker plastic bags and sticker paper bags for free. The Alliance The plastic waste problem explained March 22, 2021 3 min Overview Plastic is a life-changing resource, but the same qualities that make it usefulalongside poor waste managementhave created a global waste challenge. bags, or maybe even stop keeping bags at the register at all. There is also no global legal framework to facilitate collective action from multiple countries, no common agreement on which plastics should be phased out, and pressure from plastic manufacturers on lawmakers not to advance on legislation. It is a way of re-using plastic bottles, cups and packaging instead of burning it or putting it in landfill. In November 2018, a second plastic road was built in Overijssel.3. And when I no longer had access to those carry out bags, it meant I didnt have this quote unquote, free source of garbage bags anymore. that was created in 2016. What I found was a net benefit, we were still reducing more plastic than this rebound effect. The former was created in Germany in 2019, whose technology aims to collect microplastics from the water, while Hoola One was a vacuum created in Canada in 2019, intended to extract microplastics and macroplastics from marine environments. The plan is to increase this to 100%. Innovations that are fighting plastic pollution. Recycling correctly can keep a lot of plastics out of the waste stream. Scientists discovered that this technology can detect the concentration of microplastic in the water by measuring the surface of the water. Nanotechnology is able to pioneer ground-breaking technology to help collect and prevent plastic pollution is to increase the of! 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