​According to an April 6, 2020 Novus Light Technologies News Release https://www.novuslight.com/optical-tools-enable-the-study-of-microplastics_N10273.html a team of researchers at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York “… is using a variety of optical methods to look at microplastics in water … to learn to what extent microplastics … pass into organs in the human body … The […]

A February 26, 2020 Good House Keeping story, titled “Exactly What Every Plastic Recycling Symbol Actually Means; Plus, how to recycle the different types of plastics” https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/g804/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321/ notes that “… Just because a product has the chasing arrows symbol, doesn’t mean it’s recyclable — it’s just an indicator of the type of plastic … Every […]

On March 24, 2020 Mondelēz International confirmed its “… ambition to create positive impact for people and planet and achieve zero-net waste packaging. As part of a long-term commitment to reduce environmental impact, the company set 2025 packaging innovation targets to ensure 100% of packaging is designed to be recycled, contains on-pack recycling information and […]

“The Plastic Problem” https://weta.org/tv/program/plastic-problem-pbs-newshour-presents is a documentary prepared by the PBS News Hour, sponsored by the Cultural Programs Unit of the National Academy of Sciences – In announcing the documentary, the PBS News Hour notes that “… By 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans. PBS NewsHour takes a closer look […]

On March 26, 2020, FRONTLINE and NPR jointly announced they “… are teaming up to examine a mounting crisis: plastic waste in the environment. Despite efforts spreading across the country to reduce the use of plastic, the plastics industry is rapidly scaling up new production and promoting a familiar solution: recycling https://www.npr.org/about-npr/821478972/frontline-and-npr-investigate-the-plastic-industry But it’s estimated […]

On March 27, 2020, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ in Leipzig, Germany announced identification of a “… microbe that could help degrade polyurethane-based plastics …” https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-03/f-gsi031820.php – Centre researchers isolated “… a bacterium, Pseudomonas sp. TDA1, from a site rich in brittle plastic waste that shows promise in attacking some of the chemical bonds […]

On March 20, 2020, the UK National Oceanography Centre published research that explains “… how submarine sediment avalanches can transport microplastics from land into the deep ocean …” – The report showed that “… these flows are responsible for sorting different types of microplastics – burying some, and moving others vast distances …” https://www.noc.ac.uk/news/new-insights-transportation-microplastics-across-deep-seafloo – […]

On March 23, 2020, Argus Media reported https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2089684-singleuse-plastic-bans-delayed-on-coronavirus-concerns?backToResults=true that “… A number of US state and local governments have taken steps to temporarily reverse or delay implementation of single-use plastic bans out of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. The delays are in response to concerns that reusable bags and containers carry more risk […]

The Japan ocean shipping services company NYK https://www.nyk.com/english/news/2020/20200306_01.html on March 6, 2020 “… signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chiba Institute of Technology (CIT) to use a ship to collect and analyze microplastics in oceans around the world  … NYK will collect microplastics during voyages by making use of its fleet of approximately 750 […]