Plastic is a really useful man-made material that has transformed our lives, but what happens after we throw it away is causing a big problem for our planet. Plastic waste can last for hundreds of ...

Researchers have cracked the code for turning plastic back into the building blocks to make new plastics. It could revolutionize recycling, which studies have shown is broken. Researchers at UC ...

A green accounting method called “mass balance” certifies that something was manufactured with recycled plastic — just not necessarily much of the bottle making the claim. By Julie Creswell ...

Watch the CBS Reports documentary, "Advanced Recycling: Does Big Plastic's Idea Work?" in the video player above. HOUSTON, Tex.—When the news crew showed up outside a waste-handling business ...

Despite the planet’s growing plastic pollution crisis, petroleum-based polymers have become an integral part of modern life. They make cars and airplanes lighter and more energy efficient.

Using bacteria to take a bite out of plastic pollution is not new. But can the same microbes be used as a food source? In 2019, an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense released a call for ...

When it comes to heating up food, it’s generally recommended that you avoid microwaving stuff in plastic containers. But while many people are aware that this isn’t an ideal way to heat up ...

Watch the CBS Reports documentary, "Advanced Recycling: Does Big Plastic's Idea Work?" About 48 million tons of plastic waste are generated each year in the U.S., and very little of it is ever ...

Human brain samples collected at autopsy in early 2024 contained more tiny shards of plastic than samples collected eight years prior, according to a preprint posted online in May. A preprint is a ...

Toymaker Lego said Wednesday it is on track to replace the fossil fuels used in making its signature bricks with more expensive renewable and recycled plastic, as sales and profits surged.

Plastic bags start out as fossil fuels and end up as deadly waste in landfills and the ocean. Birds often mistake shredded plastic bags for food, filling their stomachs with toxic debris. For hungry ...