The breakdown of plastics can produce microplastics that pollute the environment and end into water or air, as one study has discovered. Instead of assisting in tackling the huge plastic waste issue, Recycling could be accelerating an environmental issue that is causing concern, which is microplastic pollution. An upcoming research study that examined recycling facilities located in the United Kingdom suggests that anywhere between 6 and thirteen percent of plastics processed HTML1could be released into the water or air as microplastics, ubiquitous, tiny particles less than five millimeters. These can be found in all sorts of places in the globe, from Antarctic glaciers to within human...

Making your garden from scratch can be a difficult task, and if you're trying to design a green garden, there are more aspects to take into consideration. To start the garden you've always wanted to start, you must gather ideas. It is possible to gather inspiration through magazines, online, or go to social media to view some of the Whitfield Yards of the Month selected from Keep Dalton Whitfield Beautiful. Find patterns, like the color of the plants, the kinds of plants and the features like edging or pathways. Draw your yard to scale on paper or digitally. I prefer...

Of all the possible climate action options, Recycling is among the least effective in the impact it has on. One of the few issues Americans can all be in agreement about is recycling. It is a popular activity for Democrats, Republicans, free-market environmentalists, and those who are ardent as well, according to data that consistently prove. For those who are recycling-minded, there is one group that is especially attracted by those who are already concerned about climate change. This makes a lot of intuitive sense since recycling has proven benefits for the environment as well as can lower carbon emissions. But as...

The Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry user facility developed a polymer they could degrade and then rebuild. This could lead to circular plastics that can be reused repeatedly again Recycling systems currently in place don't give an answer to this problem. Within the U.S., less than 10% of plastics that are discarded are reused. The remainder are disposed of into landfills or burnt in Incinerators. If we could collect all of the plastics that are discarded, there would be very few use. Many recycling facilities heat the plastic and shape it into a new shape. However, unlike glass and metal, the...

Download this free bundle today and discover ways to overcome the issues we face when screening recycled plastics to ensure safety and properties. In the last few years, plastics have come up to people's awareness thanks to the widespread release of photos and information demonstrating the negative impact of waste plastic. However, tackling the issue of plastic pollution each step of the value chain for plastic from the source to the end of life. Knowledge of the chemicals and substances used and confidence in the analytical equipment is crucial in ensuring that quality, performance, and safety are not affected. This...

Polyurethane foams, which can be difficult to reuse, have been transformed into high-value 3D printers. This cost-effective upcycling opens the way for reuse of other difficult to recycle thermoset polymers. The chemical recycling of thermoset plastics - polymers cross-linked which are permanently cured is not economically viable and the vast majority of them end up in the landfill. This has spurred research into the new field for chemical upcycling. Scientists from Zhejiang University in China used the fragmentation and reconstruction method to recycle polyurethane foams that are found in all sorts of things from car seats to furniture mattresses and...

In the past couple of years, multinational corporations have set targets to manage plastic waste generated from single-use packaging. The goals are similar; McDonald's, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Coca-Cola and other big companies declare that by 2025 or 2030 their packaging will comprise entirely of recyclable, compostable, as well as recycled products. What these companies do not declare is that their plastic production is expected to increase by 40% over the next 10 years, and they intend to make a profit from this increase. Thus, the plans that these companies have proposed allow an unstoppable expansion in producing plastic containers....

The use of plastics has increased dramatically in the past 50 years. Since then, from the 1950s onwards, multinational corporations such as Coca-Cola invested in public-information campaigns that emphasized the fact that "Packages don't litter, people do." In these advertisements, consumers are directed to eliminate their waste in a responsible way and are held to be completely responsible for the litter they leave behind. The message that is underlying them is simple: companies can make use of the amount of plastic packaging they wish, as long as they're able to shift the responsibility to dispose of the product at the...

The culture that is based on convenience and disposable products is the primary cause of plastic soup. About 40% of the plastic used is plastic packaging that is light, material that is used just once for about 20 minutes before it is tossed into the trash. A lot of plastic that is discarded gets dumped into the ocean. It is a result of products manufactured by multinational corporations. The solution has to be sourced from them. The issue of the plastic soup cannot be solved unless they involvement. One of the promises multinational corporations have made in the past was...

Greenwashing and "positive resistance" are two common strategies employed by businesses to deflect adopting effective measures to combat plastic pollution. If national or international authorities propose to address plastic pollution by legislation or taxation, businesses will often insist that they'll adopt voluntary steps to accomplish the same goal. One of the options they usually suggest for the authorities is that the company can come up with their own strategy. It is possible to as a sector offer a different option that can lead to delays for years, however it could appear as if the companies are cooperating. This tactic of...