An average Joe may just see a bucket, a rubber band or a length of PVC, but a DIYer sees all kinds of different ways to use ...

Despite the planet’s growing plastic pollution crisis, petroleum-based polymers have become an integral part of modern life. They make cars and airplanes lighter and more energy efficient.

A green accounting method called “mass balance” certifies that something was manufactured with recycled plastic — just not necessarily much of the bottle making the claim. By Julie Creswell ...

Using bacteria to take a bite out of plastic pollution is not new. But can the same microbes be used as a food source? In 2019, an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense released a call for ...

In normal conditions, the spores remain dormant, ensuring the plastic's stable performance. However, when exposed to specific triggers like surface erosion or composting, the spores activate and ...

Armbands can be a nuisance. Having a piece of plastic sitting on your arm isn’t a pleasant tactile experience, and unwanted ...

Human brain samples collected at autopsy in early 2024 contained more tiny shards of plastic than samples collected eight years prior, according to a preprint posted online in May. A preprint is a ...

Watch the CBS Reports documentary, "Advanced Recycling: Does Big Plastic's Idea Work?" About 48 million tons of plastic waste are generated each year in the U.S., and very little of it is ever ...

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 ...

Scientists have now utilized that fact to produce "living plastic" that biodegrades – but only under specific conditions. Spores are a dormant form taken by some types of bacteria, typically ...

When it comes to heating up food, it’s generally recommended that you avoid microwaving stuff in plastic containers. But while many people are aware that this isn’t an ideal way to heat up ...

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 ...