Rappler's latest stories on single-use plastics
[OPINION] The Pope and single-use plastics
Pope Francis’s encyclical 'Laudato Si’' points to one undeniable fact: that human behavior is at the root of the ‘ecological crisis,’ and therefore at the heart of solving it
Villar says banning single-use plastics may be 'impossible'
The plastic industry resists banning single-use plastics even as environmental group EcoWaste points out that it's the solution to plastic pollution
Bangladesh court orders government to ban single-use plastics
Pollution from single-use plastics is a major problem in Bangladesh, where nearly 170 million people live in a tiny sliver of low-lying land crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers and tributaries
Thai retailers ban single-use plastic bags
Several mall operators and convenience stores in Thailand ban single-use plastic bags and will instead see customers paying a small fee for a reusable bag made of a cloth-like fabric
[OPINION] Plastikang polisiya
Nakalulungkot na tayong nagrereklamo tungkol sa lumalalang basura ay siya ring nagpaplastikan sa implementasyon ng polisiyang makakalutas sana sa nasabing problema
House panel OKs P20 per kilo tax on single-use plastic bags starting 2020
The proposed excise tax is expected to generate P4.8 billion on its first year of implementation to fund the government's solid waste management efforts
Dead deer found in Thailand with 7 kilograms of plastic in stomach
The Southeast Asian country is one of the world's largest consumers of plastic, with Thais using up to 3,000 single-use plastic bags each per year, whether for wrapping street food, takeaway coffee or packing groceries.
Duterte eyes single-use plastics ban
President Rodrigo Duterte floats the idea during a Cabinet meeting, but is still deciding which alternative materials can be used in place of single-use plastics
Could Mexico cactus solve world's plastics problem?
A packaging material that is made from the plant has been developed by a Mexican researcher and is offering a promising solution to one of the world's biggest pollution conundrums
U.S. waste driving global garbage glut – study
Data on the combined solid, plastic, food and hazardous waste of 194 countries shows that the world now produces an average of 2.1 billion tons of trash each year – enough to fill more than 820,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools
New Zealand bans single-use plastic bags
'New Zealanders are proud of our country's clean, green reputation and want to help ensure we live up to it,' says Environment Minister Eugenie Sage
[OPINION] Can you make every day Earth Day?
When I decided to be a lawyer, I wanted to uphold truth and justice at all costs, working hard to fight not only for my countrymen and the motherland, but for Mother Nature as well.
Canada to ban single-use plastics from 2021
(UPDATED) Straws, plastic bags, cutlery, plates and stir sticks would be among the items banned, a government statement says
LOOK: Albay supermarket uses banana leaves, abaca instead of plastic
A supermarket in Legazpi City, Albay, goes for eco-friendly alternatives to wrap fresh produce
Single-use plastics, still the environment's number 1 enemy
The government's cleanup program makes it easier to convince the public to adapt environmentally-friendly habits
Southeast Asia became dumping ground for plastic waste – study
Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives' report says plastic waste from highly-industrialized nations are rerouted to developing countries after China's 2018 ban on plastic waste imports and processing
Not so fantastic: Can Japan end its love affair with plastic?
Japan generates more plastic packaging waste per capita than any other country except the United States, according to the UN
'No Planet B': Tens of thousands join global youth demo for climate
Classrooms in capitals from Bangkok to Berlin, Lagos to London are emptied as ambitious organizers of the student strike hope to stage 1,000 demos in more than 100 countries
Nations agree 'significant' plastic cuts
(UPDATED) The final ministerial statement – issued on a day of youth protests against climate change – makes only two references to man-made global warming and none to the fossil fuels that drive it
Philippine survey shows 'shocking' plastic waste
The report finds that where local-level plastic bag bans have been put in place and rigorously enforced, usage has dropped dramatically
Rainbow Warrior emphasizes role of corporations in plastic pollution crisis
'In the analysis of the problem, it's not pointed out: What is the role of the corporations? It's always the individuals, it's always the government, not the source,' says Greenpeace Southeast Asia-Philippines campaigner Abigail Aguilar
WATCH: What can you do about plastic pollution
The world is producing 400 million tons of plastics every year, mostly packaging discarded after just one use
Local gov't to ban single-use plastics when Boracay reopens
'Sa mga bisita sa Boracay, magdala na kayo ng sariling straw dahil bawal ang single-use plastic. Bawal na rin ang plastic bags at styrofoams sa isla,' says Sangguniang Bayan member Maylynn Aguirre Graf
New Zealand to ban single-use plastic bags
'We're phasing-out single-use plastic bags so we can better look after our environment and safeguard New Zealand's clean, green reputation,' says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Plastic is light, versatile and here to stay – for now
Greenpeace says some 12 million tons per year of plastic, mostly in the form of single-use packaging, are dumped into the world's oceans, creating an ecological nightmare
Last straw for McDonald's, Burger King as Mumbai bans single-use plastics
The rules prohibit the use of disposable plastic items such as bags, cutlery, cups and bottles under a certain size in Mumbai
Plastic Battle's plea: Ditch single-use bottles, go for refills
The Plastic Battle campaign convinces businesses to let people refill reusable bottles for a fee or for free, in a bid to eliminate single-use plastic bottles that contribute to pollution
EU proposes ban on straws, other single-use plastics
The proposals call for banning banning plastic cotton buds, cutlery, plates, straws, drink stirrers and balloon sticks
