Where the Western world send their plastic scrap

All over the world countries are exporting their plastic waste to other destinations. The UK exports almost 430.000 tons and the USA almost 790.000 tons (figures 2018). Source: https://www.boell.de/en/plasticatlas; Graphic: PLASTIC ATLAS | Appenzeller/Hecher/Sack, CC BY 4.0. All countries should stop exporting their waste problem to other countries. Source: https://www.boell.de/en/plasticatlas More facts and figures Heinrich Böll…

Only 0.5% of the plastic in the ocean floats on the surface of the water, the rest drifts deeper in the water

Plastic that ends up in the sea accumulates on beaches, in the water and on the seabed. Most of the plastic pollution is under water. Marine organisms such as fish absorb (micro) plastics and these end up in our food chain. Source: https://www.grida.no/resources/6904 Maphoto/Riccardo Pravettoni) https://www.grida.no/resources/6904

Nanoplastics in the snow

Scientists detected nanoplastics of different types in the snow at a remote high-altitude site in the Alps. Air transport modelling indicates regional and long-range transport of nanoplastics, originating preferentially from European urban areas. These urban areas are important sources of nanoplastics at this site, however the research showed that nanoplastics also travelled from across the…

Microplastics are everywhere: a 70% reduction is achievable

In November 2022 our alliance Research institute TNO in The Netherlands published a new report on Microplastics. Microplastics: prevention is better than cure It has only recently become known that microplastics can penetrate deep into the human body (see World Health Organization report). The health risks of microplastics are still largely unclear, but studies increasingly…