On AlterNet: plastic

Stories, blog posts, and videos tagged as "plastic"

Help for a Plastic Planet: New Report Focuses on Solutions to Global Plastic Pollution

Lisa Kaas Boyle, AlterNet. April 23, 2012.

The report offers real solutions, in addition to an excellent scientific accounting of the threats posed by plastic pollution to the environment, wildlife, humans and economies.

7 Dangerous Lies About Plastic

Stiv Wilson, AlterNet. February 26, 2012.

Big Plastic is big money and survives regulatory scrutiny by creating big spin. Here's what you need to know.

Compostable or Recyclable? Why Bioplastics Are Causing an Environmental Headache

Mary Catherine O'Connor, Earth Island Journal. July 6, 2011.

Let's shine a light on bioplastic packaging and its end-of-life story, because you'll be seeing more and more of it in the coming years.

Plastic May Be Horrible For the Environment, But Could We Survive Without It?

Kerry Trueman, AlterNet. May 4, 2011.

You may despise this diabolically durable man-made material, as many of us do. But could you really live without it?

Why Shopping at Costco Could Be Making You Sick

Luanne Bradley, AlterNet. April 11, 2010.

After a Costco shopper was hit with a wave of nausea, she took a closer look at the big-box store's products and their potential hazards.

Millions of Tons of Plastic Debris Floating in Oceans Is Now Thought to Be Toxic

Steve Connor, Independent UK. August 20, 2009.

As plastics break down in the sea they release chemicals toxic to humans and animals.

The Pacific Isn't the Only Ocean Turning into a Trash Heap

Kristen Chick, Christian Science Monitor. June 29, 2009.

A swirling 'soup' of plastic has been found in the Atlantic, and something similar may be present in other ocean areas.

Drinking from Plastic Bottles 'Increases Exposure to Gender-Bending Chemical'

Murray Wardrop, The Telegraph (UK). May 23, 2009.

Bisphenol A has been shown to interfere with reproductive development in animals and has been tied to serious disease in humans.

FDA Says Chemical with Links to Reproductive Problems Is Safe for Humans

Ashley Shelby, AlterNet. September 19, 2008.

More than 100 government and university studies have found the chemical Bisphenol-A to be harmful even at low levels.

What the Chemical Industry Doesn't Want You to Know about Everyday Products

Elaine Shannon, AlterNet. September 15, 2008.

The chemical industry has spent years trying to suppress information about a certain chemical. Will Congress help the public know the true dangers?

Why My Family Quit Using Plastic

James Glave, The Tyee. August 13, 2008.

Health concerns about the long-term effects of plastic have led the author's family to keep their food away from plastic containers.

First Map of Human Impacts on Oceans Released

Stephen Leahy, IPS News. February 22, 2008.

How have we we affected the oceans? The results are in.

Plastic Is Killing our Oceans

Steve Connor, The Independent UK. February 7, 2008.

Birds, turtles, whales, seals and even the smallest sea creatures are falling victim to effects of our disposable, consumer culture.

The World's Dump: Ocean Garbage From Hawaii to Japan

Kathy Marks, Daniel Howden, The Independent UK. February 6, 2008.

A "plastic soup" of floating waste in the Pacific Ocean now covers an area twice the size of the continental U.S.

The 'Poison Plastic' Retailers Won't Talk About

Lois Gibbs, AlterNet. October 11, 2006.

PVC plastic (commonly used in toys, shower curtains, bags, shoes and more) has been linked to cancer and birth defects -- so why won't big-box stores like Target stop selling it?