England to ban single-use plastic cutlery and plates
Similar bans have already been made in Scotland and Wales, while the U.K. government banned single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds in England in 2020.
Circular economy & zero waste
TerraCycle Global Foundation has cleared 581 tons of waste from Thai waterways in last two years
The Foundation partners with local community and government organizations to stop waste from reaching the ocean, where it degrades and becomes harder to capture and recycle.
South Korea achieves near 100% food waste recycling
In 1996, South Korea recycled less than 3% of its food waste. Today, it has East Asian nation has achieved a near 100% food waste recycling rate after implementing a country-wide mandatory composting scheme in 2013.
California becomes first U.S. state to ban plastic produce bags
Governor Newsom signed a new bill into law that will ban single-use plastic produce bags starting in 2025. The law requires that all such bags be replaced by recycled paper bags or compostable ones.
California passes first sweeping US law to reduce single-use plastic
The bill states that 30% of plastic items sold or bought be recyclable by 2028 and economic responsibility falls to producers
India single-use plastics ban goes into effect
The country generates around four million tons of plastic waste per year, about a third of which is not recycled and ends up in waterways and landfills that regularly catch fire and exacerbate air pollution.
Kenyan engineer invents method to turn plastic waste into sturdy construction bricks
Nzambi Matee’s Nairobi-based company, Gjenge Makers, produces a variety of different paving stones, which are already being put to use to line sidewalks, driveways, and roads.
The Flipflopi Project empowers local communities in Kenya to upcycle plastic waste into boats
The Flipflopi team intends to set up a Material Recovery Center for plastics, which will be the first of its kind in the Lamu archipelago and will serve over 140,000 people.
The largest battery recycling facility in Europe begins operations in Norway
The Hydrovolt factory is now in commercial operation and expects to recycle 12,000 tons of depleted batteries a year initially, rising to 70,000 tons by 2025 and 300,000 tons by 2030.
New plastic-eating enzyme could eliminate billions of tons of landfill waste
An enzyme created by engineers and scientists at the University of Texas breaks down plastics that typically take centuries to degrade in a matter of days.