UN marks World Oceans Day amid reports of ocean life killed by plastic trash

In the shadow of reports of whales and other sea life dying after eating plastic trash, including plastic garbage bags, the United Nations marked on Friday World Oceans Day. This year's theme focuses on preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean, said UN chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Plastic waste in Antarctica reveals scale of global pollution - Greenpeace

Plastic waste and toxic chemicals found in remote parts of the Antarctic this year add to evidence that pollution is spreading to the ends of the Earth, according to environmental group Greenpeace.

Taiwan to Ban All Single-Use Plastics by 2030

A new plan announced by Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets a timetable for completely phasing out single-use plastic items such as straws, cups and shopping bags by 2030.

China no longer dumping ground for foreign waste

The fear that the United States and European countries may soon face their own piles of waste plastics should not be blamed on China. If anything, the developed world should be grateful that China has been, to the detriment of its own environment and people's health, taking their garbage for years.

China's ban on foreign waste may greatly impact the world's recycling

The dominant position that China holds in global manufacturing means that for many years China has also been the largest global importer of many types of recyclable materials. Last year, Chinese manufacturers imported 7.3 million metric tons of waste plastics from developed countries including the U.K., the EU, the United States and Japan.

Over 6 bln euros committed to better managing oceans

More than 6 billion euros (7.01 billion US dollars) was dedicated by public and private sectors from 112 countries to improve management of oceans at the Our Ocean conference 2017 being held on Friday in Malta .

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.

37 million bits of plastic debris found on remote South Pacific island

It seems that there is really no place to escape plastic pollution.

Maroc: saisie de 421 tonnes de sacs plastique depuis leur interdiction

Plus de 421 tonnes de sacs en plastique ont été saisies par les autorités marocaines depuis l'entrée en vigueur il y a un an d'une loi interdisant ces sacs dans le pays, a-t-on appris mercredi de source officielle.

Plastic shopping bags in France are now history

A ban on plastic bags distributed at cashiers in French shops came into force Friday, as the country makes the environmentally-friendly shift to recyclable and reusable biodegradable bags.

On World Day, UN urges meaningful action to protect future health of oceans

On World Day, UN urges meaningful action to protect future health of oceans Healthy oceans are critical to sustaining life on Earth, by regulating the climate and providing a wide range of services, including natural resources, nutritious food and jobs that benefit billions of people, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared today, as the UN kicked off its celebrations to mark World Oceans Day.

How monstrous plastic waste is choking the whole Earth

 Humans have made enough plastic since the Second World War to coat the Earth entirely in clingfilm, an international study has revealed.

Oceans to have more plastic than fish by 2050

The world's oceans may have more plastic debris than fish by the year 2050, according to a report produced by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and published by the World Economic Forum.

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.

Australian researchers predict that plastic ingestion will affect 99 % of the world's seabird species by 2050.

Researchers from Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and Imperial College London have assessed how widespread the threat of plastic is for the world's seabirds, including albatrosses, shearwaters and penguins, and found the majority of seabird species have plastic in their gut.

Helped by floating robots, UN-backed research ship scours Indian Ocean for plastic waste. An estimated 5 trillion pieces of plastic currently float in the world's oceans

 UN, 14 August 2015 – The United Nations is supporting a project aiming to chart the impact of plastic waste, including garbage like plastic bags, and ‘microplastics’ used in products such as cosmetics and shower gels, in the Indian Ocean, underscoring the risk of dramatic upheavals in marine ecosystems even in one of the world's least-known and least-visited environments.

Τέρμα οι δωρεάν πλαστικές σακούλες στα souper market από το 2018 (Κύπρος)

Κύπρος: Από το 2018 καμία πλαστική σακούλα δεν θα παρέχεται δωρεάν στα souper market με ευρωπαϊκή οδηγία την οποία μελετά η Επιτροπή Περιβάλλοντος της Βουλής.

Reducing use of plastic bags: MEPs strike deal with Council Presidency

EU countries would have to reduce the use of the commonest and most polluting plastic carrier bags, under draft rules informally agreed between MEPs and the Italian Presidency of the Council on Monday and confirmed by the member states’ permanent representatives on Friday. Plastic carrier bag litter is a major environmental problem, as it is known to pollute bodies of water and aquatic eco-systems in particular.

Plastic waste causes $13 billion in annual damage to marine ecosystems, says UN agency

UN, 23 June 2014 – Concern is growing over widespread plastic waste that is threatening marine life – with conservative yearly estimates of $13 billion in financial damage to marine ecosystems, according to two reports issued at the inaugural meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly.
“Plastic contamination threatens marine life, tourism, fisheries and businesses,” underscores the eleventh edition of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Year Book, which updates 10 issues previously highlighted over the past decade and provides mitigation steps for each.