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Plastic Pollution

Pollution is the most visible problem of the plastic crisis. Whether in rivers, on land, or in the ocean, enormous amounts of plastic waste are already polluting the entire planet.

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Website Cover "The Story of Plastic in Canada"

The Story of Plastic in Canada

Every single stage of the lifecycle of plastic, from the extraction of oil and gas to the disposal of plastic waste, causes harm to our environment and our health. It's time to look at the big picture. This is the life cycle of plastic-from cradle to grave.

Cover of "Clean-ups or cleanwashing? How plastic pollution cleanup technology can actually harm the environment and obstruct policy progress (2023)"

Clean-ups or cleanwashing? How plastic pollution cleanup technology can actually harm the environment and obstruct policy progress (2023)

Plastic clean-ups have proliferated in response to the growing plastic crisis. Such clean-ups may involve large-scale unsupervised methods of plastic collection that do not discriminate between aquatic life, plastic and organic matter. As a result, the rise of these plastic cleanup technologies has raised red flags in civil society and academia.

Cover of "Zero Waste City Manual"

Zero Waste City Manual

The main aim of the Zero Waste Cities Manual is to provide a practical guide for the implementation of a zero waste system that emphasises decentralisation, source segregation, resource recovery, and informal sector inclusion. The vision for a zero waste system is to minimise movement of solid waste generated to disposal sites or facilities.

Website Screenshot "We Choose Reuse"

Website, Toolkit

We Choose Reuse

The campaign pushes for ambitious and robust reuse solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. They engage with decision-makers, businesses, municipalities and the wider public to advocate for a future where reusable packaging is scaled up and robust reuse systems are put in place.

Cover of "Refill Again"

Refill Again

This analysis found that a 10-percentage point increase in reusable packaging by 2030 can eliminate over 1 trillion single-use plastic bottles and cups. This shift has the potential to prevent up to 153 billion of these containers from entering the world’s oceans and waterways.

Cover of "Throwaway Packaging, Forever Chemicals: European wide survey of PFAS in disposable food packaging and tableware (2022)"

Throwaway Packaging, Forever Chemicals: European wide survey of PFAS in disposable food packaging and tableware (2022)

The study shows the widespread use of and contamination by PFAS in disposable food packaging and tableware in six European countries: the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Cover of "Chemical Recycling: A Dangerous Reception (2023)"

Chemical Recycling: A Dangerous Reception (2023)

This report addresses the plastic industry’s claims that chemical recycling, also known as “advanced recycling,” can play a significant role in reducing global plastic pollution. The science and data currently available do not support this claim and actually point to the conclusion that chemical recycling would support expansion of plastic production, while potentially causing unacceptable levels of environmental and social harm.

Cover of "Better Alternatives 3.0 - A Case Study on Bioplastic Products and Packaging (2023)"

Better Alternatives 3.0 - A Case Study on Bioplastic Products and Packaging (2023)

Promising research continues to emerge around alternative materials to single-use plastic. However, labels like “compostable” and “biodegradable” are misleading. The case study offers greater transparency around these novel materials, their behavior in the environment, and other concerns.

Cover of "100% Greenwash? Green Claims on PET Beverage Bottles in Europe"

100% Greenwash? Green Claims on PET Beverage Bottles in Europe (2023)

This report explores the current state of PET-based bottle recycling in Europe, as well as its potential for improvement, alongside analysis of common claims made to consumers on bottle labels relating to recycling.

Video "The Plastic Problem": Woman in front of plastic litter

The Plastic Problem

The documentary looks at plastic and how it’s impacting the world and what potential alternatives or solutions are out there.

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