microplastics

Defra reviews future of microplastics in range of household goods

Policy

Defra reviews future of microplastics in range of household goods

Review process prompts reports Ministers could extend bans on microplastics to a wider range of household products

clock 24 August 2023 • 4 min read
'Sustainable laundry': Leonardo DiCaprio-backed fund invests in UK microplastics filtration start-up

Investment

'Sustainable laundry': Leonardo DiCaprio-backed fund invests in UK microplastics filtration start-up

Star-studded fundraising round will enable Matter to scale up deployment of technology that removes toxic microplastics from waste water

clock 10 August 2023 • 2 min read
'An assault on nature': Charity calls for action to curb plastic pellet pollution

Biodiversity

'An assault on nature': Charity calls for action to curb plastic pellet pollution

Fauna & Flora International argues tougher measures are urgently needed to curb 'entirely preventable' plastic pellet pollution

clock 27 September 2022 • 5 min read
Study: Microplastics found in nearly three-quarters of tested meat and dairy products

Waste

Study: Microplastics found in nearly three-quarters of tested meat and dairy products

Research commissioned by Plastic Soup Foundation points to microplastics in feed pellets as possible cause for high content of plastic particles found in meat and dairy

clock 07 July 2022 • 2 min read
Study: Microplastics found in 90 per cent of leading cosmetics products

Supply chain

Study: Microplastics found in 90 per cent of leading cosmetics products

Research prompts calls for stricter legislation and deeper research to curb the prevalence of tiny synthetic polymer particles

clock 08 April 2022 • 5 min read

Waste

Is laundry fuelling the marine plastics crisis?

A new study from Canadian non-profit Ocean Wise has shown that synthetic fibres, many released from clothing and textiles during domestic laundry, make up a large proportion of microplastics in the Arctic Ocean

clock 13 January 2021 • 4 min read

Science

Research: 'Substantial quantities' of microplastics from tyres contaminating rivers and oceans

University of Plymouth-led study notes that microplastics shed from vehicle tyres are putting millions of square metres of UK waters at risk of contamination.

clock 27 May 2020 • 3 min read

Supply chain

Europe's fashion habit fourth largest cause of environmental pressures

The negative environmental impact of textiles production is beaten only by food, housing and transport, new research reveals

clock 19 November 2019 • 3 min read

Technology

IBM traces passage of the Mayflower with self-guided ship

Project will collect data on wildlife and ocean plastics, as well as test the potential for unmanned vessels to cut cost and emissions from research voyages

clock 17 October 2019 • 2 min read

Waste

'They are everywhere': WHO calls for research into health impacts of microplastics pollution

Huge numbers of tiny particles of plastics in water supplies are unlikely to post serious health risk, but data is 'extremely limited' UN health body warns

clock 23 August 2019 • 2 min read