The life cycle of plastic is a death spiral
It is time to shift our lens and bring into focus that our society’s plastic addiction has become a matter of life and death.
plastics
Human pathogens are stowaways on floating plastic
Studies show that various human pathogens cling to microplastics in sea water.
Big Plastic suing feds over single-use ban — again
Several major plastic manufacturers have turned to the courts to stop the federal government from implementing a ban on several single-use plastic items.
How Canada’s plan to curb farm emissions could make plastic pollution worse
Environmentalists are warning that slow-release nitrogen fertilizers, central to Canada's plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on farms, are filling fields with microscopic plastic pollution.
World leaders agree to treaty to solve plastic waste crisis
The UN environment assembly resolution is being hailed as the biggest climate deal since the 2015 Paris accord.
B.C.’s shellfish sector has a plastics problem
Community groups are pulling increasing amounts of plastic debris from the B.C. shellfish industry off their shores while Fisheries and Oceans Canada does little to enforce rules that deal with the problem, say coastal stewards.
Our chemical habit is choking the Earth
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.
Tiny plastic particles are polluting even the 'far corners of Earth'
Tiny particles, including tire dust, have been found in ice cores stretching back 50 years, showing the extent of global plastic contamination.
COP a flop in tackling big climate problem — plastic
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 worse than coal for climate change. Does anyone care?
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.
England declares ‘war on plastic,’ starting with single-use plates and cutlery
Polystyrene cups will also be banned, but campaigners say action to cut plastic waste is "snail-paced."
Experts laud Montreal's plan to cut back on single-use plastics but say Canada has far to go
Environmental experts are praising Montreal's decision to ban some kinds of single-use plastics, but they say Canada is still a long way from being plastic-free despite government promises.
The good, the bad and the downright ugly of COVID PPE
What the average person rarely thinks about is the massive impact PPE is having on the already vast waste stream of plastic, particularly in industrialized societies, writes columnist Warren Bell.
The secretive scrap plastic trade between Canada and the U.S.
Canada and the U.S. share an $18.8-million scrap plastic trade, sending truckloads of waste across the border every day. But what happens to these shipments after they've crossed international boundaries?
Canada must recognize our right to a healthy environment
A strong legislative and regulatory framework will be the backbone of Canada’s green transition, write UN special rapporteur on human rights and the environment David Boyd, Lisa Gue of the David Suzuki Foundation and Ecojustice Canada's Elaine MacDonald.
