plastic bags Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Half Of The World’s Single-Use Plastic Waste Is From Just 20 Companies, Says A Study

By NPR News May 18, 2021

A worker operates a forklift to move household waste at a facility that stores recyclable materials in Seoul, South Korea. In 2019, more than 130 million metric tons of single-use plastics were thrown away, according to a new report. CREDIT: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

In 2019, more than 130 million metric tons of single-use plastics were thrown away, with most of that waste burned, buried in a landfill or dumped directly into the ocean or onto land. Now, a new report finds that just 20 companies account for more than half of all single-use plastic waste generated worldwide.Read More

COVID-19 Has Resurrected Single-Use Plastics. Are They Back To Stay?

By NWPB News July 26, 2020

File photo. Washington and Oregon lawmakers are considering statewide bans on single-use plastic bags in grocery stores. CREDIT: JULIA REIHS/KUT

COVID-19 is changing how the U.S. disposes of waste. It is also threatening hard-fought victories that restricted or eliminated single-use disposable items, especially plastic, in cities and towns across the nation.Read More

Coronavirus Fears Prompt Suspensions Of Bans On Single-Use Plastic Bags

By NPR News April 13, 2020

Rick Wittenmyer shops for groceries at the West Side Market, Friday, April 10, 2020, in Cleveland. There were fewer shoppers this year before the Easter holiday than in previous years due to the coronavirus. CREDIT: Tony Dejak/AP

Manufacturers, lawmakers and grocery store workers say the reusable bags could transmit the virus, but according to scientists there aren't enough studies to know whether that's true.Read More

Canada Wants To Ban Single-Use Plastics. Would It Make A Difference?

By PBS Newshour June 13, 2019

A Canadian ban on single-use plastics products could go into effect as early as 2021. CREDIT: COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT PUBLIC WORKS

From Vancouver to Halifax, plastic plates, plastic bags and plastic straws may be on their way out. But a possible country-wide prohibition on certain single-use plastic products may not address the spread of the most insidious plastic litter, some scientists say.Read More

Where Will Your Plastic Trash Go Now That China Doesn’t Want It?

By NPR News March 13, 2019

The U.S. used to ship about 7 million tons of plastic trash to China a year, where much of it was recycled into raw materials. Then came the Chinese crackdown of 2018. CREDIT: Olivia Sun/NPR

For years, America sold millions of tons of used yogurt cups, juice containers, shampoo bottles and other kinds of plastic trash to China to be recycled into new products. But last year the Chinese government dropped a bombshell on the world recycling business: They cut back almost all imports of trash. And now a lot of that plastic gets shipped to other countries that Read More

Lawmakers Consider Statewide Plastic Bag Bans In Washington And Oregon

By Cassandra Profita February 19, 2019

Lawmakers in both Washington and Oregon are considering bills that would ban single-use plastic bags statewide to reduce plastic pollution.Read More