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By: Time for kids | 2018

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A cleanup crew was exploring the shore of a river in Washington, D.C. The water rippled under a blue sky, and grass swayed on the mudflats. But something else caught the group's eye.

Along the shore were heaps of plastic bottles. They had drifted down the river and gotten caught in branches that dipped into the water. The more the group looked, the more bottles they found. They gathered about 500 that day.

"It was just overwhelming," Nancy Wallace, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told TFK. "You didn't have enough room to move because of the piles and piles of bottles."

The world has a plastics problem. Bottles, straws, toothbrushes, toys-all kinds of plastics are piling up in landfills. In fact, landfills contain a large part of the world's 5 billion tons of plastic waste. By 2050, the amount could reach 13 billion tons.

INDRANIL MUKHERJEE-AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Much of this trash finds its way into the ocean. Scientists say 165 million tons of plastic debris × debris biodegradable × biodegradable KEITH GETTER/GETTY IMAGES something that has been discarded (noun) After the parade, the street was littered with debris. is floating around out there. In 32 years, plastic in the ocean could outweigh all the fish. And most plastic is not DANIEL ALLEN/GETTY IMAGES capable of being broken down naturally (adjective) My family saves biodegradable waste like food scraps and uses it to fertilize our garden. . So it will remain in the ocean forever. It endangers marine life, and even ends up in the food we eat.

Governments are realizing that recycling may not be enough. They want to eliminate some plastic items altogether. "The problem can seem overwhelming," Wallace says. "But it's a solvable problem."

Plastic Pollution

Plastic litters beaches. Whales get entangled in plastic fishing nets. Birds starve with bellies full of plastic straws and bottle caps.

Another danger is harder to see. Sunlight causes plastic to become brittle. Ocean waves then break it into smaller pieces. Marine animals that eat them are poisoned.

There's also the problem of microbeads × microbead GIANNI DILIBERTO/GETTY IMAGES a tiny plastic sphere (noun) Mira washes her face each night using a soap that contains microbeads. . These tiny bits of plastic are in products like cosmetics and toothpaste. Microbeads get washed down the drain, winding up in rivers and oceans.

ARFA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

The Last Straw

Britain has outlawed products containing microbeads. Rwanda has made plastic bags and packaging illegal, except in hospitals. Scotland and Taiwan have banned plastic straws. Several coastal cities in the U.S. have too.

The U.S. alone throws away some 500 million plastic straws a day. That's enough to circle the Earth twice. "Saying no to a plastic straw is an easy way to make a big difference in the world," Diana Lofflin says. She founded StrawFree.org.

After all, she says, our future is at stake. "Do we really want to pass on to the next generation a world that's choked by plastic?"

Chew On This

Here's a tasty way to reduce waste. Bakeys is a company in India. It has made the first-ever spoon you can eat. The edible cutlery (pictured below) is made of millet, rice, and wheat. It comes in flavors like sugar, ginger-garlic, and black pepper, in a paper wrapper. If you throw a spoon away, it decomposes in just a few days.

BI/BARCROFT MEDIA/GETTY IMAGES

Harvard University scientist David Edwards has designed an edible packaging material. It is called WikiCell. It protects the food or liquid inside as a peel protects an orange. The see-through skin is made of food particles from chocolate, fruit, seeds, or nuts. It's a delicious replacement for plastic wrap.

Assessment: Click for a printable quiz. Teacher subscribers can find the answer key in this week's Teacher's Guide.

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A cleanup crew was exploring the shore of a river in Washington, D.C. The water rippled under a blue sky, and grass swayed on the mudflats. But something else caught the group's eye. Along the shore were heaps of plastic...

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Author's Name | 2018

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Plastisphere: A podcast on plastic pollution in the environmen‪t

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Plastisphere: A podcast on plastic pollution in the environmen‪t

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Anja Krieger

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A podcast on plastic, people, and the planet. By @anjakrieger

A podcast on plastic, people, and the planet. By @anjakrieger

Fantastic

Very high quality podcast with very useful information about plastic that we all should know.

Polymers are everywhere

As a polymer engineer, I found the podcast very helpful to get ideas all around the scientists and policy-makers. As a special area of mine, the episode about bioplastics was important to listen especially it shed the light on the public view from different backgrounds which was a weak part of mine.
Love from Turkey.

A Gift to Humanity's Future

Hello from New York City! May this finds you all in good health and spirits. I'm an electronic musician with ab interest in marine invertebrates zoology. Your show is fantastic and I believe vitally important for all the worlds parents to be attentive of, right now. I don't have nor am I planning on having children. But my friend's and nephew and my family's children matter to me. Keep up the great work, this is as fascinating to me as it is terrifying, but so important to understand better...(!) Much Thanks!! 🙏🏼👌🏼

I became increasingly concerned about plastics nearly 2 years ago when I saw the headlines on carbon emissions exceeding those EVER recorded in human history. I was working in retail and saw the Newsweek headline on an iPad. A dreadful reminder of things I knew from childhood, and PBS that we would be facing (I'm 54 this year). The article contained a link to the relationship of plastics and CO2 emissions. I reeled from the data. (shockingly sobering!) I had not even considered where most plastics came from... and though I knew it was a physical crisis, for animals (the gyres, etc.) I had not even suspected the CO2 emissions - which are staggering. I plunged into feverish research on plastics in Marine environments. that is where I found your podcast, and I am definitely going to donate to help you keep this running.

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plastisphere: a podcast on plastic pollution in the environment

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‎Plastisphere: A podcast on plastic pollution in the environment on Apple Podcasts

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A podcast on plastic, people, and the planet. By @anjakrieger A podcast on plastic, people, and the planet. By @anjakrieger Very high quality podcast with very useful information about plastic that we all should know. As a polymer engineer, I found the podcast very helpful to get ideas all around the scientists and policy-makers.

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NPR

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Exploring Plastic Waster in Our Environment | NPR

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NPR explores one of the most important issues of our time: plastic waste in our environment.

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Player.fm

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Thirty-Seven Best Plastic Pollution Podcasts For 2021. Latest was Hiroshima Oysters Ocean Plastic Pollution Problem. Listen online, no signup necessary.

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Jess French  | 2019
Grades 1-4 | Non-Fiction

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In this informative book on recycling for children, you will find everything you need to know about our environment. The good, the bad and the incredibly innovative. From pollution and litter to renewable energy and plastic recycling.
This educational book will teach young budding ecologists about how our actions affect planet Earth and the big impact we can make by the little things we do.

Did you know that every single plastic toothbrush ever made still exists? Or that there is a floating mass of trash larger than the USA drifting around the Pacific Ocean?

It is not all bad news though. While this is a knowledge book that explains where we are going wrong, What a Waste also shows what we are getting right! Discover plans to save our seas. How countries are implementing green projects worldwide, and how to turn waste into something useful. The tiniest everyday changes can make all the difference to ensure our beautiful planet stays lush and teeming with life.

It is a lively kid's educational book with fabulous illustrations and fun facts about the world broken into easy to digest bite-sized bits. Each page can be looked at in short bursts or longer reads for more detail, making it a great children's book for a range of age groups.
Get Involved - Make A Difference!
Almost everything we do creates waste, from litter and leftovers to factory gases and old gadgets. Find out where it goes, how it affects our planet and what we can do to reduce the problem.

From how to make your home more energy and water efficient, to which items can be recycled and tips for grocery shopping, this book is packed full of ideas on how you can get involved to make our planet a better place to live.

This environment book for children has a wealth of ideas for becoming a planet-defending hero:
- Discover shocking facts about the waste we produce and where it goes
- Learn where about our Earth's limited resources and how to take some pressure off
- Your trash is another man's treasure
- Small changes to take your home from wasteful to super resource efficient
- Dive into saving our oceans and super recycling
- And much, much more

What a Waste is one of several nature books for kids written by Jess French, a passionate conservationist and veterinarian committed to protecting the beautiful world we live in.

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7 year old boy gifts;gifts for 8 year old girls;gifts for 8 year old boys;gifts for 7 year old girls;eco friendly gift;books for kids;recycle;earth science;science for kids;climate change;global warming;amazing facts for kids;kids fact books;non fiction books for kids age 7-9;ocean books for kids;planet earth;recycling books for kids;recycling books for children;pollution;air pollution;environment books for kids;green living books;ecology;food waste;renewable energy;zero waste;recycling

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children’s / teenage general interest: practical interests

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children’s / teenage social issues: environment and green issues

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juvenile nonfiction / recycling & green living

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juvenile nonfiction / science & nature / environmental conservation & protection

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
juvenile nonfiction/recycling & green living

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juvenile nonfiction/science & nature - environmental conservation & protection

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science & nature - environmental conservation & protection

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teenage general interest: practical interests

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teenage social issues: environment and green issues

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green living books; ecology; food waste; renewable energy; zero waste; environmental protection; recycling; amazing facts for kids; kids fact books; non fiction books for kids age 5-8; non fiction books for kids age 7-9; nonfiction books for kids 6-8; ocean books for kids; planet earth; recycling books for kids; recycling books for children; pollution; air pollution; environment books for kids; environment; environmental science; recycle; earth science; science for kids; climate change; global warming; books for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
juvenile nonfiction / recycling & green living

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
juvenile nonfiction / science & nature / environmental conservation & protection

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
juvenile nonfiction/recycling & green living

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
juvenile nonfiction/science & nature - environmental conservation & protection

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children’s / teenage general interest: practical interests

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
children’s / teenage social issues: environment and green issues

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet

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What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet [French, Jess] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet

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Rachel Salt | 2019
Grades 4-8 | Non-Fiction

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"Human beings are an amazingly inventive species in creating technologies that have taken us far beyond planetary boundaries that constrain all other animals. Whether it's very powerful innovations like pesticides, antibiotics or combustion engines, we fail to consider the long-term ramifications of our enterprises in a world where everything is interconnected. Plastics are a classic example, created by chemists from complex molecules of life in fossil fuels, applied in so many useful ways but ignoring what happens when the products are discarded as waste on such a scale that we have a gargantuan problem. The story of plastic is a cautionary tale about every aspect of the way we are living in the Anthropocene."
-- David Suzuki

The shocking truth of plastic's impact on our planet -- and what we can do about it.

The data is in and it's bad. We create and throw away too much plastic, and it is killing our planet. However, too many people have very little idea about just how far this problem reaches, and those who do know feel helpless with the enormity of the task at hand.

To fill this void and provide some hope is Rachel Salt's simple and transformative book, The Plastic Problem.

As a producer for the award-winning and wildly popular YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE, Salt is accustomed to taking big, complicated concepts and translating them into entertaining and easy-to-understand segments. She applies the same methodology to The Plastic Problem. The result is a critically important book that will change the lives of those who read it. Never before has the problem been presented in such an impactful way. Readers of any age will emerge from this book with a thorough understanding of the problem, its individual and global impacts, and -- most importantly -- hope for the future.

In 18 bite-sized chapters, Salt walks readers through the invention and globalized creation of plastic, its impacts and uses in our day-today lives, and its importance to the larger global economy. She then examines the how and why of what makes plastic so harmful to our planet and, just in case there was any doubt, Salt reinforces this danger by providing chapters on the planet-choking results of our plastic habit -- including the fact that there is almost certainly, plastic floating inside each and every person in the world.

Salt finishes this vital book with a message of hope. All is not lost. We can make changes -- both at home and on a global scale.

Big changes are already happening. If you want to be an actor and help change the future, The Plastic Problem is the best place to start.

" Plastic kills. Breaking our plastic addiction is a matter of survival for humans and it impacts every creature on Earth to the deepest part of the ocean. With clear, concise prose and illustrations, The Plastic Problem navigates a way through this plastic mess we've found ourselves in."
-- Erich Hoyt, author of Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises, Orca: The Whale Called Killer and Creatures of the Deep; Research Fellow, Whale and Dolphin Conservation; Co-chair, IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force

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juvenile nonfiction / science & nature / environmental conservation & protection

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juvenile nonfiction/recycling & green living

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juvenile nonfiction/science & nature - environmental conservation & protection

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science & nature - environmental conservation & protection

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juvenile nonfiction / science & nature / environmental conservation & protection

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juvenile nonfiction/recycling & green living

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juvenile nonfiction/science & nature - environmental conservation & protection

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The Plastic Problem [Salt, Rachel] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Plastic Problem

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Microplastics revealed in the placentas of unborn babies

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Microplastics revealed in the placentas of unborn babies

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Damian Carrington | The Guardian | 2020

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Microplastic particles have been revealed in the placentas of unborn babies for the first time, which the researchers said is "a matter of great concern".

The health impact of microplastics in the body is as yet unknown. But the scientists said they could carry chemicals that could cause long-term damage or upset the foetus's developing immune system. The particles are likely to have been consumed or breathed in by the mothers.

The particles were found in the placentas from four healthy women who had normal pregnancies and births. Microplastics were detected on both the foetal and maternal sides of the placenta and in the membrane within which the foetus develops.

A dozen plastic particles were found. Only about 4% of each placenta was analysed, however, suggesting the total number of microplastics was much higher. All the particles analysed were plastics that had been dyed blue, red, orange or pink and may have originally come from packaging, paints or cosmetics and personal care products.

The microplastics were mostly 10 microns in size (0.01mm), meaning they are small enough to be carried in the bloodstream. The particles may have entered the babies' bodies, but the researchers were unable to assess this.

"It is like having a cyborg baby: no longer composed only of human cells, but a mixture of biological and inorganic entities," said Antonio Ragusa, director of obstetrics and gynaecology at the San Giovanni Calibita Fatebenefratelli hospital in Rome, and who led the study. "The mothers were shocked."

In the study, published in the journal Environment International, the researchers concluded: "Due to the crucial role of placenta in supporting the foetus's development and in acting as an interface with the external environment, the presence of potentially harmful plastic particles is a matter of great concern. Further studies need to be performed to assess if the presence of microplastics may trigger immune responses or may lead to the release of toxic contaminants, resulting in harm."

The potential effects of microplastics on foetuses include reduced foetal growth, they said. The particles were not found in placentas from two other women in the study, which may be the result of different physiology, diet or lifestyle, the scientists said.

Microplastics pollution has reached every part of the planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans. People are already known to consume the tiny particles via food and water, and to breathe them in.

Their effect in the body is unknown but scientists say there is an urgent need to assess the issue, particularly for infants. In October, scientists revealed that babies fed formula milk in plastic bottles are swallowing millions of particles a day. In 2019, researchers reported the discovery of air pollution particles on the foetal side of placentas, indicating that unborn babies are also exposed to the dirty air produced by motor traffic and fossil fuel burning.

The Italian researchers used a plastic-free protocol to deliver the babies in order to prevent any contamination of the placentas. Obstetricians and midwives used cotton gloves to assist the women in labour and only cotton towels were used in the delivery room.

Andrew Shennan, professor of obstetrics at King's College London, told the Daily Mail it was reassuring that the babies in the study had normal births but "it is obviously preferable not to have foreign bodies while the baby is developing".

Elizabeth Salter Green, at the chemicals charity Chem Trust, said: "Babies are being born pre-polluted. The study was very small but nevertheless flags a very worrying concern."

A separate recent study showed that nanoparticles of plastic inhaled by pregnant laboratory rats were detected in the liver, lungs, heart, kidney, and brain of their foetuses.

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Microplastics revealed in the placentas of unborn babies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Microplastic particles have been revealed in the placentas of unborn babies for the first time, which the researchers said is "a matter of great concern". The health impact of microplastics in the body is as yet unknown. But the scientists said they could carry chemicals that could cause long-term damage or upset the foetus's developing immune system.

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Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution

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Plastic is a major contributor to the climate crisis. In fact, if plastic were a country, it would be the world's fifth largest greenhouse gas emitter.

Beyond Plastics has endorsed the March to End Fossil Fuels. Join Beyond Plastics staff and volunteers for this historic March through NYC on Sunday, September 17.

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Beyond Plastics - Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Plastic is a major contributor to the climate crisis. In fact, if plastic were a country, it would be the world's fifth largest greenhouse gas emitter. Beyond Plastics has endorsed the March to End Fossil Fuels. Join Beyond Plastics staff and volunteers for this historic March through NYC on Sunday, September 17.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Microplastic particles have been revealed in the placentas of unborn babies for the first time, which the researchers said is "a matter of great concern".

The health impact of microplastics in the body is as yet unknown. But the scientists said they could carry chemicals that could cause long-term damage or upset the foetus's developing immune system. The particles are likely to have been consumed or breathed in by the mothers.

The particles were found in the placentas from four healthy women who had normal pregnancies and births. Microplastics were detected on both the foetal and maternal sides of the placenta and in the membrane within which the foetus develops.

A dozen plastic particles were found. Only about 4% of each placenta was analysed, however, suggesting the total number of microplastics was much higher. All the particles analysed were plastics that had been dyed blue, red, orange or pink and may have originally come from packaging, paints or cosmetics and personal care products.

The microplastics were mostly 10 microns in size (0.01mm), meaning they are small enough to be carried in the bloodstream. The particles may have entered the babies' bodies, but the researchers were unable to assess this.

"It is like having a cyborg baby: no longer composed only of human cells, but a mixture of biological and inorganic entities," said Antonio Ragusa, director of obstetrics and gynaecology at the San Giovanni Calibita Fatebenefratelli hospital in Rome, and who led the study. "The mothers were shocked."

In the study, published in the journal Environment International, the researchers concluded: "Due to the crucial role of placenta in supporting the foetus's development and in acting as an interface with the external environment, the presence of potentially harmful plastic particles is a matter of great concern. Further studies need to be performed to assess if the presence of microplastics may trigger immune responses or may lead to the release of toxic contaminants, resulting in harm."

The potential effects of microplastics on foetuses include reduced foetal growth, they said. The particles were not found in placentas from two other women in the study, which may be the result of different physiology, diet or lifestyle, the scientists said.

Microplastics pollution has reached every part of the planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest oceans. People are already known to consume the tiny particles via food and water, and to breathe them in.

Their effect in the body is unknown but scientists say there is an urgent need to assess the issue, particularly for infants. In October, scientists revealed that babies fed formula milk in plastic bottles are swallowing millions of particles a day. In 2019, researchers reported the discovery of air pollution particles on the foetal side of placentas, indicating that unborn babies are also exposed to the dirty air produced by motor traffic and fossil fuel burning.

The Italian researchers used a plastic-free protocol to deliver the babies in order to prevent any contamination of the placentas. Obstetricians and midwives used cotton gloves to assist the women in labour and only cotton towels were used in the delivery room.

Andrew Shennan, professor of obstetrics at King's College London, told the Daily Mail it was reassuring that the babies in the study had normal births but "it is obviously preferable not to have foreign bodies while the baby is developing".

Elizabeth Salter Green, at the chemicals charity Chem Trust, said: "Babies are being born pre-polluted. The study was very small but nevertheless flags a very worrying concern."

A separate recent study showed that nanoparticles of plastic inhaled by pregnant laboratory rats were detected in the liver, lungs, heart, kidney, and brain of their foetuses.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Microplastics revealed in the placentas of unborn babies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Microplastic particles have been revealed in the placentas of unborn babies for the first time, which the researchers said is "a matter of great concern". The health impact of microplastics in the body is as yet unknown. But the scientists said they could carry chemicals that could cause long-term damage or upset the foetus's developing immune system.

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Microplastic Madness

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Take actIon to reduce plastic pollution and for an equitable and healthy zero waste, climate smart future for children everywhere.

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The History of Plastic: Lesson 1 of Trash Academy

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empowering action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, education, and advocacy

We're working toward a future free of plastic pollution.

We conduct scientific research to understand the issue and find viable solutions.

We advocate for better regulation of plastic usage and disposal on local, state, and federal levels.

We make complex topics easy to understand so that everyone can make informed decisions.

Discovered 5.25 trillion particles of plastic smog equaling 270,000 metric tons (which is less than 1% of the new plastic made in a single year)

Diverted 16 billion microbeads from the ocean with the #beadfree pledge resulting in the Microbeads Free Waters Act of 2015

Explored 50,000+ nautical miles on 19 research expeditions over 10 years

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5 Gyres empowers action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, art, education, and adventure.

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Ted-ed | 2020

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Ted-Ed | 2020

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What really happens to the plastic you throw away - Emma Bryce

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Plastic Pollution: How Humans are Turning the World into Plastic

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Plastic Pollution: How Humans are Turning the World into Plastic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Plastic Pollution: How Humans are Turning the World into Plastic

# data[].attributes.body
Alison Pearce Stevens

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Unsightly plastic bottles, bags and other trash give just a hint of the largely unseen problem of plastic pollution. Scientists have found tiny bits of it throughout the ocean. The bad news: Sea life can’t tell the difference between plastic and food.

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Plastic Free: The Inspiring Story of a Global Environmental Movement and Why It Matters

# data[].attributes.subject
Plastic Free: The Inspiring Story of a Global Environmental Movement and Why It Matters

# data[].attributes.body
Rebecca Prince-Ruiz + Joanna Atherfold Finn | 2020
Amazon

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National Geographic

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Once a completely natural product, much of today's plastic is man-made and largely dependent upon fossil fuels. From polymers to nurdles, learn how plastic is created and what we can do to slow the lasting repercussions this material will have on both our planet and our lives.

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Kenyan woman finds a way to recycle plastic waste into bricks that are stronger than concrete

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Kenyan woman finds a way to recycle plastic waste into bricks that are stronger than concrete

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Kenyan woman finds a way to recycle plastic waste into bricks that are stronger than concrete

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Catherine Garcia | Yahoo News | 2021

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Using her ingenuity and engineering skills, Nzambi Matee found a way to help the environment by converting plastic waste into building materials.

In 2017, Matee opened a factory in Nairobi called Gjenge Makers, where workers take plastic waste, mix it with sand, and heat it up, with the resulting brick being five to seven times stronger than concrete. The factory accepts waste that other facilities "cannot process anymore, they cannot recycle," Matee told Reuters. "That is what we get."

The bricks are made of plastic that was originally used for milk and shampoo bottles, cereal and sandwich bags, buckets, and ropes. Every day, Gjenge Makers produces about 1,500 bricks, in different sizes and colors. Matee is a materials engineer, and she designed the factory's machines after becoming sick of waiting for government officials to do something about plastic pollution. "I was tired of being on the sidelines," she told Reuters.

Since opening, Gjenge Makers has recycled 20 tons of plastic waste, and Matee plans on adding a larger production line that will allow the factory to triple its output.
More stories from theweek.com
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Kenyan woman finds a way to recycle plastic waste into bricks that are stronger than concrete

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Using her ingenuity and engineering skills, Nzambi Matee found a way to help the environment by converting plastic waste into building materials. In 2017, Matee opened a factory in Nairobi called Gjenge Makers, where workers take plastic waste, mix it with sand, and heat it up, with the resulting brick being five to seven times stronger than concrete.

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United Nation | 2021

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Plastic bricks in Kenya - NZAMBI MATEE - Young Champion of the Earth 2020 for Africa

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Could Plastic-Eating Bacteria Save The Planet?

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Could Plastic-Eating Bacteria Save The Planet?

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Bloomberg | 2020

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Could Plastic-Eating Bacteria Save The Planet?

# data[].attributes.headline
This Mutant Super-Enzyme Can Eat Plastic Waste Within Days

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This Mutant Super-Enzyme Can Eat Plastic Waste Within Days

# data[].attributes.body
Seeker | 2020

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This Mutant Super-Enzyme Can Eat Plastic Waste Within Days

# data[].attributes.body
Cox | 2019