plastic waste Archives - Positive News

England to ban plastic wet wipes in a bid to clean up rivers and seas

Tom Pattinson — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 10:57:33 +0000

The new ban on plastic wet wipes aims to protect waterways, curb microplastic pollution and end the scourge of ‘fatbergs’

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How litter-picking became a competitive sport

Robin Eveleigh — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 14:00:22 +0000

Born in Japan, spogomi is now going global. As competitors like to say: ‘the real winner is the environment’

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Plastic with a past: traceable pots made from reclaimed fishing nets

Robin Eveleigh — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 07:00:20 +0000

Discarded fishing gear is getting a second life as elegant, origami-inspired planters – thanks to a Scottish design startup

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Spore and peace: fungi power a quiet revolution in nappy waste

Robin Eveleigh — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 07:00:48 +0000

A US-based biotech firm has developed a plastic-eating fungi, offering an eco-friendly solution to tackle the global nappy waste crisis

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The ‘bubble barriers’ that stop plastic pollution before it reaches the sea

Robin Eveleigh — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 10:00:39 +0000

The low-fi pollution solution has proven surprisingly effective in the Netherlands. Now, it’s being rolled out elsewhere in Europe

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Compostable, reusable, or none at all? The future of plastic packaging

Robin Eveleigh — Sun, 13 Nov 2022 14:03:20 +0000

Big oil regards plastic as a growth market. But these startups have other ideas that will help us use less of the stuff

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Supermarket chain to replace plastic ‘bags for life’ with paper alternative

Gavin Haines — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 12:59:31 +0000

Morrisons is trialling paper carriers at selected stores, with the intention of axing plastic bags from all of its shops

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Three good things: packaging

Positive News — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 15:30:04 +0000

From laser labels to ‘plastic’ derived from sugar cane, three environmentally-friendly alternatives to plastic packaging

1. Natural branding

‘Laser labelling’, a plastic-free branding alternative, is being trialled on fresh produce. Image: Nature & More

Trials of plastic-free ‘laser labels’ have begun with sweet potatoes, avocados and coconuts. A strong light is shone on to vegetables, removing pigment from their skin. The mark comes off when the skin is removed and doesn’t impact taste, aroma or shelf life. Research by Florida University confirms the technique is safe, according to the American Society for Horticultural Science.

2. Soap paper

Cosmetics company Lush now wrap all of their bars of shower wash in dissolvable ‘soap paper’. Image: Lush Digital

Cosmetics company Lush now wrap all of its bars of shower wash in ‘soap paper’. The dissolvable packaging, made from blended melon puree and soap flakes, was dreamed up by product developer Wesley Burrage in a sweet shop, inspired by fruit leather snacks.

3. Plant-based plastics

The Tetra Rex drinks carton harnesses the power of plants instead of using plastic materials. Image: Tetra Pak International S.A.

The Tetra Rex drinks carton is made entirely from plant-based materials: ‘plastics’ derived from sugar cane and paperboard. They are made by Brazilian company Braskem, which sources sugar cane grown on degraded pastures. More than 200bn have already been made.

Featured image: Lush Digital

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