Billions of tonnes of plastic accumulating on Earth

More than 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastic has been produced since 1950 according to the first major global analysis of mass-produced plastics.

UW oceanography senior finds microplastics, likely from fabrics, widespread on beachs

A University of Washington (UW) undergraduate has discovered a problem much closer to home: nearly invisible bits of plastic on Puget Sound beaches, along the northwestern coast of the US state of Washington.

Biodegradable plastics not the answer to cut marine litter

Widespread adoption of products labelled "biodegradable" will not significantly decrease the volume of plastic entering the ocean or the physical and chemical risks that plastics pose to marine environment, accord to a United Nations report released yesterday.