Plastics are synthetic or semi-synthetic materials made from polymers, which are long chains of molecules typically derived from petroleum, natural gas, or other organic sources. Plastics are ...

A prototype sensor being developed by sensor manufacturer IDEC (Sunnyvale, CA) uses light to differentiate among three different types of plastic. Aimed at the recycling industry for accurately ...

Researchers have spent the last few years trying to find which type of plastic biodegrades the fastest in a marine environment as millions of tons of plastics find their way into our oceans every year ...

Biodegradable plastics can break down naturally through the action of living organisms such as bacteria. They are made from renewable sources such as corn starch or sugar cane and don’t linger in the ...

Kaitlin Sullivan is a health and science journalist based in Colorado. She's been part of multiple award-winning investigations into health topics including the international medical device industry ...

Of all the major types of materials used today, plastics are one of the fastest-growing categories and offer the greatest opportunity for innovation. Decades of development towards improving the ...

A new chemical process can essentially vaporize plastics that dominate the waste stream today and turn them into hydrocarbon building blocks for new plastics. The catalytic process, developed at the ...

“The world’s commitment to ending plastic pollution is clear and undeniable,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), when the fifth negotiation session for an ...

Among the plastic in your house might be an orange-colored hard laundry detergent bottle and a squeezable clear ketchup bottle. Come recycling day, you might put them on the curb in a blue bin or bag, ...