Plastic is a huge concern for the environment. When consumer products and industrial waste break down, the environment becomes inundated with small pieces of plastic known as microplastics. For this reason, scientists are currently dedicating so much of their time to finding a solution to this ever-increasing issue. Thankfully, they have recently created a sponge-like...

Plastic has spread into every facet of our existence. Plastic has been detected at the deepest point of the ocean, the Mariana Trench. It is also present at the highest peak on land, Mount Everest. Microplastics are found in Antarctic snow, clouds, turtles, whales, tap water, beer, and even in human blood. In 2022, the...

What happens to the plastic we use every single day? Think of all the grocery bags and product packaging we use every week. We like to assume that someone is taking care of it, that our plastic is being responsibly recycled somewhere down the line. However, the shocking truth is that only 9% of all...

Microplastics, tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size, have become a significant environmental and health concern in recent years. These particles are almost everywhere, found in almost every facet of our world: in oceans, soil, air, and even in the food and water we consume. The impact of microplastics on human health is...

Microplastics are found everywhere, from the food we consume to the air we breathe. However, its effect on human health is not entirely apparent yet. Although animal studies have suggested that there are potential harms, we are yet to learn how this affects us. Biochemist Matthew Campen and other researchers recently investigated how various inhaled...

Over the past several years plastic has touted to have terrible effects on the environment, and for good reason. Most plastics, unlike other materials, cannot biodegrade, and this is toxic for wildlife — especially for the oceans, where so much plastic ends up. Scientists estimate about eight million metric tons of plastic land in the...

Between food packaging, electronic parts, everyday household items, and even medical care, it’s hard to keep track of just how much plastic you’re using and throwing out on a regular basis. In fact, the true numbers are startling: The average North American consumes over 220 pounds of plastic every year! (7) Until very recently, scientists...

In a 2008 Ted Talk, mycologist Paul Stamets declared that mushrooms may be the solution to a number of environmental issues facing our planet today. It turns out, mushrooms can eat plastic, clean up oil spills, and re-build our forests, among many other incredible abilities. How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World Mushrooms are some...

Plastic pollution is one of the biggest issues facing our environment. Sadly, the problem is only getting worse. In 1950, humans produced about 2.3 million tonnes of plastic annually. By 2015, that number had increased to 448 million tonnes. Experts estimate that production will double by 2050 [1]. This is why Canada’s new plastic ban...

Plastic was invented in the late nineteenth century to replace materials derived from nature, like ivory from elephant tusks. For this reason, plastics were celebrated. They could protect the natural world from the destructive needs of human beings – it turns out, big oil misled us. After World War Two, the plastics industry began booming....

Devastating photos have emerged of two polar bear cubs eating a plastic bag they dug up on the shore. Hungry polar bears aren’t the only ones who unintentionally eat plastic waste in the arctic, and this leftover trash is a big problem. Hungry Polar Bears Eat Plastic Bag Jens Wikström is an Arctic Expeditions leader...

Dolls, trucks, Lego, and action figures are all classic children’s toys that have one thing in common: they’re all made of plastic. In fact, in 2017 the website ecobirdy.com conducted a survey which found that 90 percent of all children’s toys are made entirely out of plastic [1]. The Lure of Bright Toys These brightly-colored...