The Ocean Cleanup begins catching trash in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
At age 19, Boyan Slat founded The Ocean Cleanup. The organization has developed a massive plastic-cleaning device which is now operating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Plastic pollution
Thailand to ban imports of high-tech trash, plastic waste
Southeast Asia nations fear they are the new dumping ground for the world’s trash after China banned the entry of several types of waste as part of a campaign against foreign garbage.
Burger King removes plastic toys from kids’ meals in the U.K.
Burger King claims the initiative will save 320 tonnes of single use plastic every year. This move will help them reach their 2025 goal to make all packaging 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable.
Guatemala to ban plastic bags, straws, cups beginning 2021
The measure gives merchants two years to phase out bags, straws, plates, cups and containers made from plastic or plastic foam, and replace them with compostable items.
Panama bans single-use plastic bags
Panama’s plastic bag ban has gone into effect. Panama became the first Central American country to ban single-use plastic bags in 2018.
Sainsbury’s to cut plastic packaging in half by 2025
The U.K. supermarket giant currently uses almost 120,000 tonnes of plastic packaging per year.
Iceland Supermarket’s ‘reverse vending machines’ reach one million plastic bottles recycled
Iceland supermarkets have recycled over one million plastic bottles in just over a year, thanks to a trial of ‘reverse vending machines’ in five of its U.K. stores.
India bans six single-use plastic products
India is set to impose a nationwide ban on plastic bags, cups and straws on Oct. 2, in its most sweeping measure yet to stamp out single-use plastics.
Nepal bans single-use plastics in Everest region
Nepal will make the Everest region a plastic-free zone by 2020 by banning single-use plastics. The new rule will come into effect from January 1, 2020.
Hasbro to cut all plastic packaging by 2022
The toy maker will stop using plastic bags, elastic bands, and the shrink wrap that’s usually found around Monopoly, Scrabble and other board games.