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Big Oil Touted Recycling to Sell More Plastic, and Left Cities Grappling With a Costly Waste Problem
Plastics recycling is littered with misleading claims and waste. Here’s what that recycling symbol really means, its history and why more than 75% of your plastic waste ends up in landfills
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Youngkin Rolls Back Northam's Limits on Single-Use Plastics
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Thursday ended what his office called a “burdensome” restriction on single-use plastics at state agencies, colleges and universities. The Republican governor signed an executive order rolling back a 2021 order from Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam that instituted the prohibition on most disposable plastic bags, food service containers, water bottles, and straws and cutlery at executive…
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From Paints to Plastics, a Chemical Shortage Ignites Prices
In an economy upended by the coronavirus, shortages and price spikes have hit everything from lumber to computer chips
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Countries Take Steps Toward Curbing Plastic Waste in Oceans
An intergovernmental conference has taken early steps toward drawing up an agreement to curb plastic pollution and marine litter around the world.
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Drive to Charge Packagers for Recycling, But Industry Fights
States across the U.S. are looking to adopt new recycling regimes that require producers of packaging to pay for its inevitable disposal.
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Four Statistics About Plastics That May Surprise You
Creating plastic requires fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Storm Team4 Meteorologist Amelia Draper has tips to help you reduce the amount of plastic you use.
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Pandemic Deals Blow to Plastic Bag Bans, Plastic Reduction
Just weeks ago, cities and even states across the U.S. were busy banning straws, limiting takeout containers and requiring shoppers to bring reusable bags or pay a small fee
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Iconic Pacific Bird Sanctuary Ravaged by Plastic and Death
Flying into the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Midway Atoll appears out of the vast blue Pacific as a tiny oasis of coral-fringed land with pristine white sand beaches that are teeming with life. But on the ground, there’s a different scene: plastic, pollution and death. With virtually no predators, Midway is a haven for many species of seabirds and is...
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As the Lab-Grown Meat Industry Grows, Scientists Debate If It Could Exacerbate Climate Change
Companies across the world are moving quickly to bring to the market hamburgers and other meat products that are grown from animal cells in a lab. This month, Israeli-based company Future Meat Technologies raised $14 million to build a production plant for its cultured meat products, joining several dozen other start-ups poised to launch their first commercial products within the...
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Trump Claims Credit for Shell Plant Announced Under Obama
President Donald Trump sought to take credit Tuesday for the construction of a major manufacturing facility in western Pennsylvania as he tries to reinvigorate supporters in the Rust Belt towns that sent him to the White House in 2016. Trump visited Shell’s soon-to-be completed Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex, which will turn the area’s vast natural gas deposits into plastics. The facility,...
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Warming Climate May Reduce Sea Life by 17%, Study Finds
The world’s oceans will likely lose about one-sixth of their fish and other marine life by the end of the century if climate change continues on its current path, a new study says. Every degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) that the world’s oceans warm, the total mass of sea animals is projected to drop by 5%, according to a comprehensive...
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Divers Can View Underwater Art Museum Off Florida Keys
Divers off the coast of Florida can now visit an underwater art museum.
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Jason Momoa Shaves Signature Beard to Promote Recycling
“Aquaman” is clean-shaven. Actor Jason Momoa on Wednesday released a video in which he shaved off his signature beard and mustache in order to promote recycling. He started by saying farewell to his “Game of Thrones” and DC characters Drogo and Arthur Curry. Momoa said he thought he last shaved in 2012.
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Beyond Paper Straws: More Hacks for Reducing Plastic at Home
To help the environment by cutting down on non-compostable plastics, many people have begun saying no to plastic straws and are bringing reusable bags to the grocery store instead of accepting new plastic ones. But many more small steps like those can be taken. “There are so many simple changes you can make at home,” says Melissa Ozawa, features and...
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New Guidelines for Recycling in Prince William County
Prince William County officials now ask residents to keep both glass and certain plastics out of recycling bins because the cost of transport is increasing. News4’s David Culver reports.
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Prince William County Latest Jurisdiction to Change Recycling Guidelines
After Prince William County Changed its glass recycling rules, News4 has compiled a definitive list of what you can and can’t recycle depending on where you live.
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Hawaii Considers Nation's 1st Statewide Ban on Plastics in Restaurants
Hawaii would be the first state in the U.S. to ban most plastics at restaurants under legislation that aims to cut down on waste that pollutes the ocean. Dozens of cities nationwide have banned plastic foam containers, but Hawaii’s measure targeting fast-food and full-service restaurants would make it the first state to do so. The liberal state has a history...
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Police Investigating Negligence in Deadly Bangladesh Fire
Bangladesh police said Friday that they were seeking up to a dozen suspects in connection with a fire in the oldest part of the capital and could charge them with negligence over the blaze that killed at least 67 people. The case involves between 10 and 12 people wanted on suspicion of “causing death through negligence” in the Wednesday night...
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‘The Milkman Model': Big Brand Names Try Reusable Containers
A new shopping platform announced Thursday at the World Economic Forum aims to change the way we buy many brand-name products. Loop, as the platform is called, would do away with disposable containers for things like shampoo and laundry detergent from some of the world’s biggest manufacturers. Instead, those goods will be delivered in sleek, reusable containers that will be...
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Scientists Study Long-Term Impact of Bad Air From Calif. Wildfires
Wind and rain arrived in Northern California this week, providing welcome relief to a region buffeted by the state’s deadliest wildfire and then besieged for nearly two weeks by a dome of thick, noxious smoke. Forecasters expected 25 mph winds and rain to blow away the worst of the fallout by Friday. While that would improve air quality, the cleaner...