They were washed in with the tide, most likely from China or the US, thousands of miles away -- part of an enormous plastic garbage patch, spinning in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, which you ...

Scientists have new evidence to explain why plastic is dangerous to sea turtles: the animals mistake the scent of plastic for food. Thus, a plastic bag floating in the sea not only looks like a ...

The woman carrying the red cloth lives at the landfill. This story is part of Planet or Plastic?—our multiyear effort to raise awareness about the global plastic waste crisis. Learn what you can ...

Black-colored plastic used in children’s toys, takeout containers, kitchen utensils and grocery meat and produce trays may contain alarming levels of toxic flame retardants that may be leaching ...

You see photos of plastic pollution in the ocean, but it can be hard to connect that to the plastic you're buying and using every day. Here are three ways the plastic you throw away can end up in the ...

Plastic surgery is often associated with cosmetic procedures like nose jobs or liposuctions. And while these are an important aspect of what plastic surgeons do, they're not the only focus. These ...

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 ...

Scientists in Germany have identified a type of fungi that is capable of breaking down synthetic plastics, offering a ...

In the form of bottles, tires, packaging and piping, millions of tons of plastic waste are dumped every year in the world's waterways, often ending up in the oceans. And their amount could almost ...

Scientists have developed a "self-digesting plastic", which, they say, could help reduce pollution. Polyurethane is used in everything from phone cases to trainers, but is tricky to recycle and ...

A rising tide of plastic waste is choking our oceans, threatening fragile ecosystems and killing sea life. While plastic has revolutionised our way of life since it was invented in the 1950s, the ...

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 ...