Plastic

Chemicals collect in microplastics, which then get eaten by fish, birds and seals — and by humans.

Ecotourism brings valuable funds for conservation to the islands, but it also delivers a torrent of garbage that could damage this unique ecosystem.

Laws have banned plastic bags in some places, but taking the next steps requires overcoming some pretty major hurdles.

Some people think beach cleanup efforts don’t accomplish much. They’re missing part of the picture.

Beach cleanup efforts in Thailand illustrate the global problem of plastic pollution.

Kenya this week made it official: Anyone manufacturing, importing, selling or even using plastic bags faces thousands of dollars in fines or up to four years in jail. It’s not just shopping bags; garbage bags also count. The ban could help reduce the hundreds of millions of plastic bags used in Kenya each year, but it’s also controversial, as many Kenyans rely on plastic bags to carry charcoal for heating and cooking, or even for sanitation. Still, the BBC reports that people are already adapting by wrapping goods in old newspapers or carrying them in their hands. 

Oceanic plastic poses an increasing threat for these top predators.

What better way to understand the dangers of plastic pollution than by traveling on a ship made out of garbage?

When a 60,000-pound shipping container falls into the ocean, its plastic contents can end up on the world’s beaches — and in its fish.