Biodegradable plastics are sold as a simple fix for a world drowning in packaging, but the reality is far messier than the marketing suggests. Labels that promise bags, cups, and utensils will ...

Plastic pollution is one of the most defining environmental challenges of our time. Despite efforts to recycle or responsibly dispose of plastic, vast garbage patches in the oceans continue to ...

Japan-based materials experts have made impressive progress in the search for a better biodegradable plastic. The breakthrough starts with an abundant material: cellulose from wood pulp. Takuzo ...

Polystyrene is made from styrene building blocks and is the most widely used plastic in terms of volume, for example in packaging. Unlike PET, which can now be produced and recycled using ...

About half of all of the plastics in the world have been created in only the past 15 years, and we are now swimming in the stuff. This tough material is made from petroleum-based chemicals, and is ...

(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- In recent years, at least a half-dozen countries have embraced plastics made with an additive intended to break them down into carbon dioxide, water and harmless organic ...

Plastics make up approximately 5–12 % of global waste generation, constituting around 20–30 % of waste by weight. Alarmingly, about 60 % of plastics end up as plastic waste (PW) in the ...

It’s hard to imagine a time before traditional plastics became commonplace for many single-use food packaging and food-contact applications. It’s even harder to imagine a time without them using ...

Marine animals may be more likely to eat biodegradable plastics than conventional plastics, according to a study of crabs and worms on a beach in Australia. The findings suggest that increasing ...

Biodegradable bags are an amazing alternative to plastic ones. Made from natural materials like cornstarch, these bags break down in a matter of months instead of years. Many African markets are now ...