Seascape: the state of our oceans New international rules to tackle the “wild west” global trade in plastic, which has seen wealthy nations dump contaminated plastic waste on to poorer ones, will result in a cleaner ocean within five years, according to a UN transboundary waste chief. The rules, which come into force on 1 January, aim to make the trade more transparent in order to allow developing nations such as Vietnam and Malaysia to refuse low-quality, difficult-to-recycle waste before it is even shipped. “It is my optimistic view that, in five years, we will see results,” said Rolph Payet, the executive director of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions. “People on the frontline are going to be telling us whether there is a decrease of plastic in the ocean. I don’t see that happening in the next two to three years, but on the horizon of five years. This amendment is just the beginning.” At the moment, developing countries – many of which have recycling industries that take in shipments from other nations – cannot see whether a given shipment of plastic is actually recyclable or if it is too contaminated to use before it arrives. Waste that […]
Latest Articles
University of Michigan Reveals “Aevum” Solar Racecar
Takeaways: Solar car racing isn't like regular car races, whereby the cars are powered only by the sun.
The World Solar Challenge requires that...
In the North Cascades, the Canada Lynx Makes a Comeback
Takeaways: In 2000, the Colville Tribes in British Columbia launched a long-planned reintroduction on their reservation to protect the Canadian lynx.
Six lynx have...
Why Small Cooperatives in Portugal Produce Solar Energy
Takeaways: Coopernico is a small energy cooperative in Portugual that build solar power plants that supply institutions and put surplus electricity back into the...
Our Waste is Valuable: How One Company is Creating a Circular Economy for Plastics
Takeaways: Carbios has developed a PET plastics bio recycling plant that recycles plastic into raw material.
The company has also developed a way to...
Behind Panasonic’s Commitment to Sustainable Change Across the Globe
Takeaways: Panasonic has converted a factory in Osaka, Japan, into a Sustainable Smart Town.
This Smart Town features solar arrays, energy solar batteries and...
Undergraduate Students Develop Glow-in-the-Dark Concrete
Takeaways: Students from the America University in Cairo have developed glow-in-the-dark concrete.
This concrete would help cut down on power used for street lighting...