Articles by Jo Foster

Solving two problems in one go, researchers believe melting plastic waste could heat homes in the future. Not only would this help reduce the problem of waste plastic causing pollution, it could also create a viable fuel source. New research shows the breakthrough could even cause less greenhouse gas emissions. © terovesalainen / Adobe Stock Scientists at the University of Chester hav...

Scientists are researching whether humble sawdust could be the solution to the world’s plastic problem. They believe the shreds of wood left over from logs that are turned into lumber can be used to make sustainably sourced recyclable bottles. The scheme is being pioneered by Origin Materials, a company in Sarnia, Ontario. It has already attracted interest from major drinks brands, including...

It may surprise many people to learn that their clothes are adding to the plastic pollution problem in our oceans. Known as microfibres, the invisible plastic fibres within garments are so tiny that they will shed in the washing machine and eventually find their way into the sea. Although individually the microfibres are minute, when you take into account that millions of people are wearing ...

Have you ever stopped to think about how much plastic the average consumer uses on a daily basis? While everyone is concerned about the effects of discarded plastic on the environment, how much are you doing to help alleviate the crisis? Plastic is all around us and we use it more often than you might think. In our average daily routine, plastic is the key to many tasks. Statistics show t...

Football supporters are partial to a pint or two - and although drinking in their seats while watching the match is banned, there's always a surge to the bar at half-time. Now fans are being urged to drink from reusable plastic cups at stadiums in the ongoing fight against plastic pollution. Glasses made from plastic, rather than actual glass, have been traditionally used at football stadium...

Fast food chain McDonald’s has been credited with turning children into collectors as a result of launching its Happy Meal toys in 1979. While the famous Happy Meal has been part of childhood for millions of youngsters across the world, concerns are being raised that the plastic toys are adding to the planet's pollution problem. As one of the world's biggest fast-food brands, McDonald’s boas...

The 21st century has seen a boom in plastic recycling as a result of the pollution crisis that is devastating the planet. People everywhere are trying to put old plastic to good use by recycling it into a variety of objects. While plastic is commonly made into everything from fleece jackets and sleeping bags to carpets and bottles, a company in Colombia has taken the ambitious step of turnin...

A team of tomb divers have been the first people to carry out underwater archaeology in Sudan. Led by experienced diver Pearce Paul Creasman, the team went to amazing lengths to access an ancient Pharaoh's tomb below a pyramid earlier this year. Tomb divers are underwater archaeologists, who brave inhospitable and potentially dangerous conditions to discover the secrets of ancient burial sit...

The race is on to remove several types of plastic packaging from supermarket shelves by 2020. With just six months to the proposed deadline, the waste reduction organisation, Wrap, is reminding companies of their pledge when they signed up to the UK Plastics Pact in 2018. The list of products which should disappear to make a trip to the supermarket more eco-friendly includes plastic cutlery,...

Global plastic recycling has been thrown into disarray - after one of the world's biggest recyclers, China, changed the rules in relation to the type of waste it will import. Many people think that each country recycles all of its own plastic, but this isn't the case. If you're wondering where your plastic waste goes, you may be surprised to learn that until recently, a lot of it was shipped...