California has passed a new amendment that adds to its original plastic bag ban. The state banned single-use plastic bags beginning in 2016 but allowed thicker “reusable” plastic bags to be sold for a 10 cent fee. Officials there thought that the original legislative design, with a few caveats, would … [continued]
More companies are turning away from single-use plastics as public consciousness about plastic pollution increases.
In part 1 of this two-part series, we examined the environmental impacts of the humble lightweight plastic single-use shopping bag, and argued that simply banning them without providing a sustainable alternative is not a valid long-term solution: the large-scale use of many of the alternatives, such as non-woven polypropylene bags, would also cause environmental damage — in particular, due to the lack of sustainable production and disposal options. Here, in part 2, we’ll speculate on what properties the ideal shopping bag would have, and provide recommendations for shoppers when selecting new bags.
Lightweight plastic “the most ubiquitous consumer item in the world” and a bane on our world and future. Some locations have had success moving away from them, but what is the best replacement?
Underwater photographer Caroline Power has posted several photos online that graphically demonstrate the problem of ocean plastic in the Caribbean.
A new process for creating high-tech carbon nanotube membranes out of a very common waste material — plastic bags — has been developed by researchers at the University of Adelaide. The innovative approach to nanotube production could potentially turn the common litter item into a valuable resource — probably a … [continued]
This article first posted on San Diego Loves Green by Roy Hales The most controversial of the three Waste bills before the California Assembly was voted down yesterday. Senate Bill 405, designed to implement a statewide phase-out of single use plastic bags, did not receive the 21 votes needed to … [continued]
What most of us see as the ubiquitous blight of modern convenience consumerism, i.e., littered plastic shopping bags, Japanese inventor Akinori Ito sees as the “fuel of the future”. Like most sensible inventions, Ito’s began with the simple realization that plastic bags are made from oil. Thus, it should be … [continued]
