Tag Archives: Plastic

By Larraine Roulston: Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, has officially declared war on plastic straws and bottles by eliminating them from the royal estate’s cafés, dining halls and catered events. It is thought that her awareness of plastic ocean pollution peaked while working with Sir David Attenborough during the filming of his conservation documentary that …

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By Kim Robson: Everyone knows that Styrofoam is bad for the planet, but do you know exactly why? Here’s a hint: it’s not just about biodegradability. Styrofoam has become such an accepted everyday product that people often don’t understand how Styrofoam harms the environment. Styrofoam is made from polystyrene, which …

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By Kim Robson: Whenever I see that scene in The Graduate where a young man is urged to invest in plastics, I want to shout at the screen, “Noooo!” The good news is that we’re recycling more and more plastic every year, even utilizing reclaimed plastic in 3D printing. The …

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By Kim Robson: One of the most pervasive and damaging pollutants in the ocean is microplastic, tiny beads and plastic particles measuring 5 millimeters or less that require special fine-gauge netting to be removed from lakes and oceans. They might seem too tiny and insignificant to matter, but microplastics are …

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By Fredrica Syren: Let’s be honest about plastic. And I mean inconveniently honest. Plastic is found in everything these days: food, hygiene products, phones, computers, cars, even gum. Here is the harsh truth: plastic never goes away and most of it — like grocery bags, micro beads, straws and bottles …

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By Molly Connell: The bottled water industry is a profitable business for the companies involved. In the United States, 11.7 billion gallons of bottled water are drunk annually — enough to fill the Empire State Building 42 times. This consumption makes bottled water a $170 billion business, which theoretically should …

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By Fredrica Syren: Plastic straws are a common plastic pollution. These days, you almost can’t go to a restaurant without ending up with a straw. We have gotten into the habit of ordering our food along with a “PLEASE, NO STRAWS!” whenever my family eat out. I totally understand that …

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By Larraine Roulston: It’s hard to image a world without plastic, yet this invention did not become wildly popular until after WWII. Due to its light weight, plastic is practical for many applications, including packaging for transportation. The problem, however, is that there is far too much of it. Not only …

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By Fredrica Syren: As more and more people jump on the zero waste movement bandwagon, more businesses see the potential financial benefits of giving consumers what they want — more with less waste. Sweden, already in the forefront when it comes to being one of the most green and eco-friendly …

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By Kim Robson: Everyone agrees that the alarming amount of plastic in our oceans is a huge environmental concern. All across the country, forward-thinking coastal municipalities are enacting bans on plastic bags. Most of us are already long accustomed to bringing our own reusable shopping bags anyway. But many people …

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