Plastic pollution is one of the defining environmental challenges of our time—and some of nature's tiniest organisms may offer a surprising way out. In recent years, microbiologists have ...

Now, new research, published Friday in Science Advances, reexamines the U.S.’s role as a plastic consumer and concludes that the country has much more work to do at home to manage its waste.

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more› By Katie Okamoto Katie Okamoto is an editor focusing on sustainability.

The global campaign to gain control of plastic waste is one of the fastest-growing environmental causes ever mounted. Yet it hasn’t been enough to make a dent in the growing tonnage of discarded ...

By the end of the week, I was left with a horrifying pile of yogurt cups, coffee lids, plastic wrappers and takeout containers — far more than I expected. I even had enough trash to cover my ...

We’ve updated this piece to clarify and add context to a study finding flame-retardant chemicals in some black plastic. February 2025 It’s probably time to ditch your plastic utensils.

In the U.S. alone, about 4 to 5 billion plastic pill bottles are thrown away each year. That’s enough plastic to circle the Earth multiple times. While they might seem harmless, these bottles ...

Every week, millions of Americans toss their recyclables into a single bin, trusting that their plastic bottles, aluminum cans and cardboard boxes will be given a new life. But what really happens ...

This is what the data says about plastic bag bans. Plastic bag bans have been popping up across the country for the past decade, but a lawmaker in one state is looking at walking back the law ...