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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
Explore context
Plastics and the Environment
This little robot is cleaning up our beaches, one cigarette butt at a time
Cigarette butts are the most common and problematic types of litter for marine environments. Could an AI-powered robot litter picker be the solution?
Plastics and the Environment
Reusing 10% will stop almost half of plastic waste from entering the ocean. Here's how
Pollution created by single-use plastic items is a growing threat to the planet and economy. A system based on reuse would create new sources of value.
Circular Economy
How changemakers in Bangkok are popularising the circular economy
Changemakers in Bangkok have learned first-hand what early conversations with leaders in business and policy require to drive circular change.
Environment and Natural Resource Security
Giant pandas no longer endangered thanks to conservation efforts
China no longer considers giant pandas an endangered species in the wild as their population has now increased to 1,800. They're classed as 'vulnerable'.
Plastics and the Environment
This Spanish Company Turns Ocean Trash Into Beautiful Clothing
Plastics and the Environment
How cows could help solve the problem of plastic pollution
Bacteria found in the rumen of a cow stomach can be used to digest polyesters used in textiles, packaging, and compostable bags, according to a new study.
Plastics and the Environment
This furloughed Londoner started her own business upcycling rubbish in the Thames
Flora Blathwayt founded a business, selling greeting cards decorated with plastic rubbish she retrieves from the muddy banks of the River Thames in London.
Plastics and the Environment
Helping companies in China reduce and recycle 50% of e-waste by 2025, from smartphones to medical machinery
We generate 53 million metric tonnes of e-waste each year. The World Economic Forum's Circular Electronics in China project is working to change that.
UpLink
A ‘dating site’ with a difference that’s pairing waste with recycling opportunities
Could we recycle and reuse more? The founder of this “dating” site for waste says she can match materials to organisations that can unlock their reuse potential and save the planet.
Water
Meet the team trying to clear up one of the world's most polluted rivers
Everyday a group of Filipinos come together to rake out plastic and rubbish, from Manila's notorious Pasig River, one of the world's most polluted rivers.
Plastics and the Environment
8 amazing solutions to stop plastic flowing into the world’s oceans
How smart ideas and science are being used by environmental and tech clean-up groups around the world to prevent plastic waste choking the planet’s rivers and oceans.
Climate Change
What needs to happen before COP26? The UN’s climate chief explains
The UN's climate chief, Patricia Espinosa has said a “significant amount of work” remains to be done ahead of November’s COP26 summit in Glasgow, UK.
Climate Change
New material inspired by spider silk could help solve our plastic problem
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have created a plant-based plastic from abundant and sustainable plant proteins, that looks like spider silk.
Biodiversity
Taxonomy: Why 19 ferns are named after Lady Gaga and a bug is named after Brad Pitt
Lady Gaga, David Attenborough and Beyoncé are just some of the celebrities to have species named after them, which can help raise awareness of the need to protect biodiversity.
Plastics and the Environment
How tech is helping Egypt's informal recyclers build a circular economy
A group of multinationals, backed by Egypt's government, have created a plastic recovery scheme which rewards informal collectors through digital credits.