Who’s Ready to Fight Plastic Pollution? Published: 25 January 2023 Commentary A global meeting in November to address the problem by establishing a legally binding agreement did not meet the moment. When the International Negotiating Committee convenes again next year, delegates’ ambitions will need to match the scale and scope of the problem. By Alexandra Caterbow and Olga Speranskaya
Overexposed Published: 21 March 2022 Analysis Women are more affected than men by plastics. Biological reasons are part of the problem: their bodies react in different ways to toxins, and the hygiene products that women use are often contaminated. But alternatives do exist. By Johanna Hausmann
Thailand’s Plastic Waste Conundrum Published: 16 November 2021 Analysis Despite the Thai government’s ban of four more types of single-use plastics in 2022, up to 250,000 tonnes of imported plastic waste from other nations continues to flow into the country annually through the international plastic waste trade. Thailand is trying to stay the course with further efforts to mitigate plastic pollution, but there are still challenges in waste sorting and collection on the ground. By Pratch Rujivanarom
Unpacked! Plastic, Waste, & Me: Graphics and Licensing Terms Published: 28 May 2021 Download the individual pages and graphics from "Unpacked! Plastic, Waste, & Me" in JPEG, PDF and PNG format.
The Myth of Good Plastic Published: 21 January 2021 Essay Plastic is a material that used to be a symbol of progress and modernity. Now it represents an industry that subordinates everything to profit, even if the world is ruined in the process. By Barbara Unmüßig
Why the Plastic Crisis Matters Published: 6 November 2019 Article The plastic crisis is not just about what ends up in the ocean; it is about whether we are capable of achieving a sustainable existence on this planet. By Lili Fuhr and Froilan Grate
Regulation: Solutions at the wrong end Published: 4 November 2019 Plastic Atlas There is no lack of agreements and initiatives to manage the plastic crisis. But almost all address waste disposal only; they are not coordinated with each other, and they absolve manufacturers of their responsibilities. By Linda Mederake, Stephan Gürtler and Doris Knoblauch
Waste Exports: The rubbish dump is closed Published: 4 November 2019 Plastic Atlas What to do with your unwanted plastic bottles and bags? Simple: send them somewhere else. Until recently, much of the developed world’s hard-to-recycle waste was shipped off to China. That is no longer an option. By Claire Arkin
History: Breakthrough in three letters Published: 31 October 2019 Plastic Atlas The first plastics imitated ivory and silk and attracted just a limited market. Things took off after World War II with the rise of PVC. Cheap plastics soon conquered the world. By Alexandra Caterbow and Olga Speranskaya