In 1950, global plastic production was about 2 million tons. It's now about 400 million tons—an increase of nearly 20,000%. As a material, it has seemingly limitless potential. Plastic is inexpensive ...

We can now tell the difference between a wide range of plastic types and thereby separate plastics according to their chemical composition. This is absolutely ground-breaking and it will increase the ...

Perhaps one of the clearest indications of the Anthropocene may be the presence of plastic. Starting with the commercialization of Bakelite in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, plastics have taken the world by ...

Peer into a recycling bin and you'll almost certainly see a problem. Plastic trays, bottles, films all tangled together, ...

Microplastics are everywhere, including inside humans.

A team of scientists has developed a first-of-its-kind catalyst that is able to process polyolefin plastics, types of polymers widely used in things like plastic grocery bags, milk jugs, shampoo ...

Recycling plastic is much harder than many people realize. Every day, homes and businesses throw away large amounts of ...

When you throw away a plastic container, how do you decide whether to toss it in the trash or into a recycling bin? If you find the choice puzzling, you’re not alone. A 2014 poll found that 65 percent ...