plastic news stories on Newser

Expedition Charts 'Plasticized' Pacific

Rob Quinn — Tue, 22 May 2012 04:36:18 CDT

An expedition charting the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" has been hauling out depressing amounts of plastic from the little-studied waters of the western North Pacific gyre. "We've been finding lots of micro plastics, all the size of a grain of rice or a small marble," the Sea Dragon expedition leader...

Plastic in Pacific Has Grown 100-Fold Since 1970s

Kevin Spak — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:00:00 CDT

Humanity has tossed a lot of plastic into the Pacific Ocean in the last 40 years. The level of small plastic pieces in the so-called "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" has increased 100-fold over that span, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography found in a new study. "We did not expect to...

Resin-Lined Metal Water Bottles Can Leach BPA, Too

RaptorFan — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 14:13:03 CDT

A new study from toxicologist Scott Belcher of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine indicates that switching to metal water bottles from polycarbonate-plastic may not eliminate the risk of BPA leaching, reports Science News . It's the resin liner in the metal bottles that can be the culprit. Fortunately, the...

How to Dodge BPA in Daily Life

Rob Quinn — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 15:43:05 CDT

The estrogen-mimicking compound BPA, linked to health problems including breast cancer and infertility , is found in plastics, canned food, and even store receipts. It's nearly impossible to avoid it completely, but researchers say eating more fresh food helps and Fast Company has some tips for further cutting down exposure. Try...

Bananas the Key to More Fuel-Efficient Cars?

Kate Schwartz — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:31:05 CDT

It may sound a little bananas, but it turns out that, well, bananas could help create more fuel-efficient cars. Brazilian scientists have come up with a way of using fibers from that fruit, as well as pineapples and coconuts, to make a lighter, stronger plastic. In fact, it's 30% lighter,...

Why Plastic Isn't Evil

John Johnson — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:44:38 CDT

Plastic is the material environmentalists love to hate, but it's getting a bad rap, writes author Susan Freinkel in the New York Times . These days, plastic is equated with junk and litter because we waste it on things like shopping bags and drinking straws. "If we understood plastic’s true worth,...

BPA-Free Plastics Leach Hormone-Like Chemicals

Rob Quinn — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 03:38:00 CST

More bad health news on the plastics front. Even BPA-free plastic products can leach a chemical that acts like the sex hormone estrogen, according to new research. The researchers bought hundreds of plastic products from stores like Wal-Mart and Whole Foods, focusing on products that come in contact with food,...

Going Green? Bah! GOP Brings Back Foam Cups

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:01:50 CST

The Republicans are back in control of the House, and they're bringing something with them: styrofoam cups. The cups, along with plastic forks and a number of other things seen as not eco-friendly, were done away with four years ago by Nancy Pelosi to reduce Congress's carbon footprint. Now, the...

Maine Gov: Don't Sweat BPA Dangers

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:45:05 CST

If you're worried about the dangers of BPA , you shouldn't be, according to Maine’s governor. The worst thing that could result from exposure to the chemical is that some women could grow "little beards," Paul LePage said last week. LePage made the comment to support his argument that Maine needn’t...