Global survey sees ‘nearly nine in 10 people supporting a UN plastic pollution treaty but will governments follow?’ As we covered recently, the Fifth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly takes place online and in Nairobi at the end of February 2022. A key element of the summit will be the potential for a […]
Marine animals may eat plastic rubbish in the sea because an additive found in common items such as water bottles and yoghurt pots lead them to mistake the debris for food. A study using hermit crabs has shown their respiration rate increases significantly in response to low concentrations of oleamide and that they are attracted […]
The effort to promote recycling has been too successful. That is the argument being made by some environmentalists, as they point to a perception among consumers that if they carefully sort their glass, paper and plastic, they aren’t polluting the planet. “The message about recycling is so positive that it becomes an incentive to consider […]
Scotland has become the first part of the UK to ban the sale of plastic cotton buds. New regulations have come into force prohibiting the manufacture and sale of the items, as part of measures to reduce plastic waste. Environmental campaigners at the Marine Conservative Society, who have cleared more than 150,000 plastic cotton bud sticks from Scotland’s […]
Defra ‘Environment Secretary Michael Gove has today confirmed a ban on plastic straws, drinks stirrers, and plastic stemmed cotton buds in England, following overwhelming public support for the move. Following an open consultation, a ban on the supply of plastic straws, drinks stirrers and cotton buds will come into force in April 2020. The ban […]
In England, it is estimated that annually we use 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers and 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds. An estimated 10% of cotton buds are flushed down toilets and can end up in waterways and oceans. Even though non-plastic alternatives are readily available, these single-use plastic items are used for just a few […]
‘Scottish Government consult on details of deposit return scheme Overview Consultation on the options for distinct elements of a deposit return scheme on beverage containers, seeking views on which options will deliver the best results for Scotland. Why We Are Consulting We want to design a deposit return system that will work well for everyone […]
The global marine litter crisis – who gets the blame? New research from University of Plymouth MCS ‘The public are more likely to blame the current global marine litter crisis on retailers, industry and government, according to new research led by the University of Plymouth. The Europe-wide study asked more than a 1,100 members of […]