Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. It was hailed as a wonderful thing: During the oil boom in the 1950s, chemists began to render the waste coming out of refineries ...

It's no longer a secret that single-use plastic is harming the planet. Not only does the process of creating these materials emit enormous amounts of planet-warming gases, but they also can take ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The use of plastic across all facets of human life has grown more ...

These buzzwords are increasingly appearing on utensils, to-go cups and food containers and other kinds of disposable packaging. While you might think the dizzying array of products could be a simple ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Unlike previous plastic alternatives, the new bioplastic from Michigan State University could decompose in home compost bins.

The dismal results of the UK's Big Compost Experiment reveal that most so-called compostable plastics do not break down in backyard compost bins. Composting is a bit like alchemy. You put food scraps ...

Do our “compostable” bags, utensils and containers really return to nature? Hailed as a solution to the plastic problem, a growing number of new materials — marketed as biodegradable, sustainable, ...

In a new study, scientists at the Spanish Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research and the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC) argue that compostable plastics, ...

Some plastic alternatives need to be put in industrial compost facilities or require acres of land for production. Sway's seaweed plastic needs neither. This startup turns food waste into bioplastic ...

Materials scientists are cooking up environmentally friendly polymers from natural sources like silk, plant fibers and whole algae. Economics and acceptance remain hurdles. By Boyce Upholt / Knowable ...

Sign up for The Morning Report with all your must-read news for the day. Two-parter this week. We’re going to make a pit stop on the topic of San Diego’s non ...