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Post-Brexit regulation doesn’t match new EU rules to tackle ocean pollution, despite UK being Europe’s largest plastic waste producerThe UK has been accused of failing to honour its promise to curb shipments of plastic waste to developing countries, after it emerged Britain’s new post-Brexit regulations are less stringent than those imposed by the EU.From 1 January, shipments of unsorted plastic waste from the EU...

Crisp packets, cup lids and wet wipes among the more mundane objects commonly encounteredA full-size disco ball, a plastic Christmas tree and a double mattress were among the more unusual objects found by volunteers cleaning up the UK’s beaches this autumn.The most common polluting items retrieved in the Marine Conservation Society’s annual clean of coastal areas were pieces of plastic or polystyrene, plastic takeaway...

Health impact is unknown but scientists say particles may cause long-term damage to foetusesMicroplastic particles have been revealed in the placentas of unborn babies for the first time, which the researchers said is “a matter of great concern”.The health impact of microplastics in the body is as yet unknown. But the scientists said they could carry chemicals that could cause long-term damage or upset...

Lord Goldsmith says Britain, the second biggest per capita producer of plastic waste, could play leading role in tackling crisisBritain has thrown its weight behind a new global agreement to tackle the plastic pollution crisis, which Lord Goldsmith said would go “far beyond” existing international agreements.This week, the Guardian revealed there is growing support for such a treaty internationally, but that neither the UK...

Efforts to cut waste will reduce volume only by about 7%, say researchersPlastic waste flowing into the oceans is expected to nearly triple in volume in the next 20 years, while efforts to stem the tide have so far made barely a dent in the tsunami of waste, research shows. Governments could make drastic cuts to the flow of plastic reaching the oceans through...

Calls for sachets to be included in UK and European legislation banning other single-use items The government must act urgently to stamp out the “curse” of single-use plastic sachets, billions of which are helping to fuel the global plastics crisis, campaigners are warning.A coalition of more than 50 business leaders, politicians and campaigners is demanding that the plastic sachets – used for everything from...

Stella Wedell astounded to spot tape in exhibition of art made out of plastic marine debrisA music fan has been reunited with a cassette tape she lost while on holiday 25 years ago after it washed up on a beach hundreds of miles away.Stella Wedell was 12 when she took the tape on a Spanish holiday to listen to songs by the likes of...

Exclusive: London has highest level yet recorded but health impacts of breathing particles are unknownMicroplastic pollution is raining down on city dwellers, with research revealing that London has the highest levels yet recorded.The health impacts of breathing or consuming the tiny plastic particles are unknown, and experts say urgent research is needed to assess the risks. Continue reading...

Calls for ban or higher prices as sales jump to 1.5bn, equivalent to 54 bags per householdPlastic “bags for life” should be banned or raised in price, campaigners say, as new figures reveal a surge in the bags is fuelling a rise in the plastic packaging footprint of leading supermarkets.Despite high profile promises by the country’s best known supermarkets to tackle the amount of...

Study finds 800,000 extra fibres are shed than on standard washing machine settingDelicate wash cycles should be avoided whenever possible, according to scientists who found they can release hundreds of thousands more plastic microfibres into the environment than standard wash cycles.Researchers at Newcastle University ran tests with full-scale machines to show that a delicate wash, which uses up to twice as much water as...