In January, another piece of research drew attention to the fact that plastics pollute every corner of the earth. Everywhere on the planet, cigarette butts, old CDs, supermarket bags, and nylons litter the landscape. [1]
Photograph: Erik de Castro/Reuters
A report released in 2015 will likely have you shopping somewhere besides your local dollar store or discount retailer soon. After testing 164 dollar-store products, researchers found that over 81% (133 of 164) contained at least one hazardous chemical that was present in high enough concentrations to raise serious health concerns. [1]
Stores like Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and 99 Only were all culprits – selling the public items like toys, jewelry, and personal care supplies that contained carcinogenic, or otherwise hazardous chemicals.
The U.S. Senate unanimously voted recently to phase out the use of plastic microbeads in soaps, body washes, and other personal care products starting in 2017.
The Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 was approved following House approval last week and is now headed to President Barack Obama’s desk.
Feeling excluded from traditional routes of marine protection, a new wave of young activists with an entrepreneurial spirit are going it alone and taking the future of the oceans into their own hands
Consumer plastics manufacturers began removing the chemical DEHP from their products about a decade ago, replacing the “probable human carcinogen” with DINP and DIDP, which were believed to be safer. New research shows, however, that the replacement chemicals sitting in for DEHP-free products may be just as dangerous as DEHP itself. [1]
The importance of cleaning up our oceans has become a front-and-center issue, as it should be. From a 19-year-old’s creation of an ocean clean-up array meant to clean up the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ to the development of eco-friendly plastic alternatives, we’re all doing our best to save one of the most precious resources we have on this planet.
We all really want to avoid the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), but it can be difficult to navigate the grocery store aisles without accidentally putting a brand that still uses BPA in your cart. To help with this, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released a new report analyzing which brands continue to line their cans with BPA.
A London-based surf brand wants to tackle increasing levels of plastic waste along the UK coastline by transforming it into beachwear
The European commission will look into 700 different chemicals to analyze their endocrine disrupting potential.
Are you interested in exploring alternative means of sustainable living, but don’t think it can be done? Though not as common as it should be, many individuals choose to live off-the-grid and rely on themselves by collecting rainwater, planting gardens, using alternative energy, and more. People are even building their own little ‘Earth dome’ houses. Want to see what I’m talking about? Check out these pictures and video below.
