Plastic Pollution

The Indonesian island of Bali has been battling a plastic waste crisis for years, with the government declaring a “trash emergency” in 2017. Now, a new project called Sungai Watch hopes to fight plastic waste, which has decimated not only…
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To support Thailand’s nationwide plan to curb plastic bag use, at least 43 shopping malls and department stores have agreed to stop providing plastic bags starting in January 2020. These include some of the biggest retailer names in the…
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A US$ 106 million Singapore-based venture fund, The Circulate Capital Ocean Fund (CCOF) has just been launched by Circulate Capital to become the world’s first investment fund dedicated to address the plastic crisis in Asia. In addition,…
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Colgate has just unveiled their first ever eco-friendly toothbrush, made from 100% biodegradable and sustainably grown bamboo. The company launched the product as a part of its mission to reduce overall plastic waste and improve its social…
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While countries around the world are dumping their contaminated waste into developing nations in Southeast Asia with little if any ramifications, a community in the eastern coast off Indonesia’s Java island is suffering. Burning the…
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Hong Kong has for years battled a huge waste problem. Now, the most recent figures released by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) indicate that it’s getting even worse: the rubbish disposal rate per person in Hong Kong has…
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A major report about plastic bottle recycling in the Southeast Asian region reveals the severity of the waste crisis facing countries that simply do not have the adequate infrastructure for collection with hundreds of millions of dollars…
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Before modern liquid shampoo became widespread, hair care routines didn’t involve so much plastic waste. Now, we are conditioned (!) to believe we need liquid shampoo in plastic bottles that usually get disposed of rather than refilled,…
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In August this year, Argentina changed its definition of what counts as “waste”, a move that could enable the import of millions of tonnes of low-grade plastic waste scraps discarded in the United States. Environmental campaigners have…
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The plastic crisis is one of the biggest challenges that our planet is facing, and one that desperately needs to be tackled, especially if we want to save the fate of our oceans. Currently, millions of tonnes of plastic ends up in the…
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If you've been around the Central ferry piers lately, you may have noticed a large solar panel covered watercraft docked at Pier 9. Race For Water's ambassador vessel, which is 100% sustainably powered and boasts zero carbon emissions, is…
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We sat down with the CEO of Hong Kong-based startup Urban Spring, Ada Yip, who is on a mission to fight plastic pollution in the city. Hong Kongers buying more than 1.5 million disposable plastic bottles of water per day, an addiction Ada…
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In a global audit of plastic waste conducted by the Break Free From Plastic movement, Coca-Cola was found for the second year in a row to be the top polluting brand worldwide. The multinational beverage giant is accountable for more…
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In a new study conducted by the German Environmental Ministry and the Robert Koch Institute, plastic byproducts were found in almost all blood and urine samples taken from children between the ages of 3 and 17. These shocking results…
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German footwear brand Birkenstock has just released its Natural Skin Care products, infused with the company’s iconic material: cork. The shoemaker has expanded to skincare after realising that a substance in cork oak contains…
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Many of us are taking steps to live more sustainably, but are overlooking a major culprit of household waste? Cleaning products are a large source of ocean and landfill waste, and some figures say that the average household throws away…
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Global luxury hospitality group Mandarin Oriental Hotels has pledged to phase out all single-use plastics across its entire portfolio by March 2021. This follows recent moves by the group to remove plastic straws and single-use drinking…
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Asia is home to many of the planet’s wonders, including beautiful fine sand beaches and coastlines. However, due to years of plastic pollution, marine litter and waste mismanagement, many of these beaches are no longer as pristine as they…
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Multinational beverage giant Coca-Cola has recently partnered up with a number of technology companies to develop a way to manufacture bottles using plastic collected from oceans. This comes after the company faced public criticism for its…
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Turkey-based home appliance manufacturer Arçelik just developed a new washing machine, which targets and captures the microplastic fibres released during the washing process. While fast fashion continues to manufacture more plastic-based…
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Netherlands and Vietnam-based social enterprise Upp! is on a mission to fight the global plastic pollution crisis by closing the plastic waste loop with a local approach. Using a circular economy approach, Upp! hopes to save plastic waste…
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