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Plastics and the Environment
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Global Issue
Industry
Economy
4th Industrial Revolution
Global Issue
Industry
Economy
4th Industrial Revolution
Plastics and the Environment
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Circular Economy
Mounting e-waste is harming the planet. Here’s how we solve the problem
Consumers are always chasing the best products, from better cameras to more storage. Yet constant upgrades have created a growing global e-waste challenge.
Climate Change
Polyester fibres are being found in areas as remote as the Arctic Ocean
Scientists have found evidence of tiny synthetic fibres which are consumed by sea creatures and could cause further damage to the fragile Arctic ecosystem.
Environment and Natural Resource Security
The coalition to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 now has 50 countries signed up
The High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People was launched last year and aims to protect the Earth's natural systems, plants and animals.
Plastics and the Environment
How Viet Nam can reduce marine plastics by 75% in the next decade
Viet Nam has joined with the World Economic Forum and WWF-Viet Nam to launch the Viet Nam National Plastic Action Partnership to fight plastic pollution.
Plastics and the Environment
New climate models suggest faster melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet
A new study published in Nature Communications, shows that Greenland’s ice sheet could melt faster than previously thought over the 21st century.
Plastics and the Environment
Can Indonesia wipe out plastic pollution for good? New House on Fire podcast
Indonesia's plan to eliminate plastic pollution by 2040 is the most ambitious one yet. We talk to local experts and campaigners about how it can be done.
Environment and Natural Resource Security
10 of this year’s best pictures on the environment
Here are some of the most striking environmental moments of the year, captured by photographers around the world.
Environment and Natural Resource Security
This map shows the extent of human impact on the Earth’s surface
Using this high-resolution map, we can visualize the impact humans have had on almost 95% of the Earth's surface.
Plastics and the Environment
We're a long way from ending deforestation, but we can still stop it
In 2014, governments, companies, NGOs and Indigenous groups committed to a series of goals to protect forests, but in 2020, we're further from meeting them than we were six years ago.
Retail, Consumer Goods and Lifestyle
Secondhand clothing is in fashion - and it's helping the environment
The secondhand clothing industry has boomed in recent years, which is good news for the environment, as the fashion industry is one of the world's biggest polluters.
Plastics and the Environment
7 ways packaging is changing to reduce plastic waste
Imaginative design and new materials are the key to more sustainable products – and an end to plastic waste.
Pandemic Preparedness and Response
These biodegradable gloves provide a green alternative to synthetic rubber
Some 80 million gloves are used COVID-19 health workers every month, yet the synthetic rubber they're mostly made from stays in landfill for 100 years.
Circular Economy
How a circular economy could aid the COVID-19 recovery
A circular economy could help the world recover financially from COVID-19, researchers from the University of Warwick say. It could also help nations achieve their net-zero carbon emissio...
UpLink
Reflecting on Kenya’s single-use plastic bag ban three years on
In 2017, Kenya passed the world’s toughest ban on single-use plastic bags. Judi Wakhungu, Minister for Environment and Natural Resources at the time, discusses the impact the ban has had.
Environment and Natural Resource Security
This Norwegian start-up wants to build houses out of 100% recycled plastic
Plastic waste doesn’t have to be wasted – now it’s being used to build homes in Africa in a pioneering partnership between the UN and Othalo of Norway.