When Zhanyun Wang was a kid, his mother told him to avoid the sweet-smelling gases that sometimes drifted across his neighbourhood near Shanghai from nearby plastic factories. Anything that smelled "really nice," the now-researcher at the University of Zurich explained, was "probably very toxic."

Alberta has sided with a coalition of major plastic producers suing to stop the federal government’s efforts to reduce plastic pollution. 

Canada has joined a global coalition of countries pushing for a proposed international treaty to tackle the world's plastic pollution crisis. Led by Norway and Rwanda, the group of 20 countries will push for rules to reduce plastic production and eliminate plastic pollution by 2040. 

Several major plastic manufacturers have turned to the courts to stop the federal government from implementing a ban on several single-use plastic items.

Emissions of over 40 highly toxic chemicals in Ontario, Alberta and Quebec have significantly increased in recent decades, potentially exposing millions of Canadians to harmful groundwater and air pollution, a new analysis shows.

A toxic chemical commonly used in plastic products and sunscreen could soon be banned under international law following a landmark UN decision that lays the groundwork for stricter rules on microplastic and other plastic pollution. 

Chemical companies have produced more chemicals — including plastics — than the planet can safely sustain without potentially crossing a planetary boundary and causing irreversible harm to the environment or human health, says a team of international researchers.

A new study is the first large-scale global assessment of the plastic-degrading potential of bacteria and found that one in four of the organisms analyzed carried a suitable enzyme.

Cookware, water bottles, and hundreds of other items made from recycled plastic worldwide may contain toxic chemicals harmful to human health, a new study has found. 

Canada has one of the world's most wasteful economies when it comes to recycling and reusing commodities like plastic, metal, and energy, a new report commissioned by Environment and Climate Change Canada has found. 

Plastic production is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and is growing rapidly as demand soars worldwide. If nothing is done, analysts predict it will account for about 13 per cent of the world's remaining carbon budget by 2050. 

Plastics are expected to contribute more to climate change than coal-powered generating plants within the next decade, a new report by U.S. environmental organization Beyond Plastics has found. But the problem has so far received minimal attention from politicians and businesses.

A week-long water crisis that has left residents of Nunavut's capital city Iqaluit without drinking water is also exposing a chronic problem for many northern communities: It's almost impossible to safely get rid of garbage.

Cheap plastic coffee cups, takeout containers, and hundreds of other single-use items have long been a substitute for more durable alternatives made from glass, ceramic, or wood, despite the environmental harm they cause. 

A global agreement to curb plastic pollution is a few steps closer to becoming a reality after several countries, including the European Union — but not Canada — backed a draft resolution that will speed up negotiations towards an agreement.