Pollution

The report highlights four categories of regenerative materials that are promising replacements for conventional fossil fuel–based plastics: agricultural residues and byproducts, hemp and other bast fibers, mycelium, and seaweed. It concludes with a link to a landing page of innovators using these biomass feedstocks to create and scale next-generation materials to replace plastic. 

In recent years, Turkey has emerged as a global hub for plastic waste processing, primarily fueled by imports from countries such as the UK and members of the European Union. This study investigates the environmental impacts of illegal wastewater discharges from plastic recycling facilities in Adana, a major plastic waste import hub in Turkey. 

Thee 2025 Brand Audit report reveals the ‘Dirty Dozen’ - the 12 most polluting household brands in the UK and their parent companies. Coca-Cola topped the leaderboard for the fifth-year running, closely followed by McDonalds and Cadbury. The other top brands included: Red Bull, Walkers, Monster, Lucozade, Pepsi, Stella Artois, Haribo and Mars. And theUK’s largest supermarket, Tesco has made it into the Dirty Dozen for the fifth-year running. 

Business journalist Saabira Chaudhuri explores the corporation's massive lobbying effort in the EU to exempt a 'reuse for dine in' requirement in the landmark Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and draws parallels between the tactics McDonald's used in EU and its efforts to thwart the foam ban in the 1980s in the US which was ultimately successful. 

An inspiring collection of 40+ videos featuring scientists, business leaders and innovators, frontline community members and advocates, Indigenous knowledge keepers, policymakers, artists and entertainment industry professionals, and other experts contributing to the movement to end plastic pollution. 

The study finds that recycled polyester, the fashion industry’s flagship ‘sustainable’ solution, sheds more microfibres than virgin polyester. Testing of 51 garments from Adidas, H&M, Nike, Shein and Zara showed that recycled polyester releases both the highest number of fibres and the finest particles,worsening the microplastic pollution problem.

Plastic production remains the most resource-intensive area of petrochemicals. This puts a serious strain on the economy and the environment, and indirectly finances military conflicts, including Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Thus, the modern global energy system is at a turning point.

Facing Finance has examined how the 12 largest banks operating in Germany are addressing the plastic crisis. The analysis looked at whether banks have guidelines for financing plastic producers. The result: plastic can now be found everywhere – in the most remote corners of the Earth and even in the human body – but not in the policies of banks.