Month: August 2023

Image by Warren Hansen Written by Esme Hyatt EPA released the draft “National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution” Focusing on Objective C of the plan, which has to do specifically with preventing trash from entering waterways The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently posted the Draft National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution. This report was derived from the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act passed in 2020. Title 3 of the act requires the EPA to create a plan to reduce consumer plastic released into the ocean. Additionally, the plan has been released to the states and the public for comment. (Toto, 2023) There are three objectives to the report. According to the EPA, Objective A addresses reducing pollution during plastic production, Objective B focuses on improving po...

Image by Anupa Uthsara Written by Amelia Petty At UC San Diego, researchers have developed a new type of plastic material that can biodegrade in a natural ocean environment. This material, called polyurethane foam, could potentially replace petroleum-based plastics that end up in our oceans and pollute the water for centuries. The popular commercial plastic used today does not break down naturally for hundreds of years, leaking toxins into the water, as well as breaking off into microplastics which are dangerous to ocean life, and eventually humans. While this groundbreaking invention gives an optimistic view on the future of ocean pollution, its commercial use across the world is still a long way off. What makes this polyurethane foam so innovative is its ability to break dow...