Globally, we’re producing around 400 million metric tons of plastic each year. Nearly half of that is single-use: everything from cutlery and clamshell cases to plates and produce bags. Life is so ...

Since the 1950s, as plastic has become a go-to material for dishes, utensils, food storage containers and more, we’ve produced more than 8 billion tons of it around the world. There’s just one problem ...

Reducing plastic use this year should be on everyone’s radar, although it won’t be easy. According to the United Nations, “humanity produces over 430 million tonnes of plastic every year – two-thirds ...

Plastic bags littering the shoreline is a common sight on beaches around the world. CREDIT: Prasit Photo via Getty Images. Get the Popular Science daily newsletter ...

We're surrounded by plastics and other synthetic chemicals. Are you aware of these less obvious sources?

Bridget Cevero of the Maritime Aquarium, left, and Annalisa Paltauf of Save the Sound, hold up the 35.75 pounds of trash collected by volunteers at the cleanup at Sherwood Island State Park last year.

Nobody wants plastic pollution. That doesn’t mean poorly considered and heavy-handed governmental actions are the solution. This includes misguided single-use plastic bans (e.g., bans on plastic ...

Hot coffee may contain more microplastics than you think. Heat, pressure, and daily use can cause plastic parts inside coffee ...

Researchers have developed another way to deal with plastic waste, and the one-step process turns it into fuel. The low-energy method involves low temperatures and produces gasoline, chemical raw ...

As talks on a global treaty on plastic waste approach, an environmental group has found that only a handful of U.S. states are taking meaningful action to rein in the plastic waste that harms ocean ...

Before you reheat tonight’s leftovers, it helps to know what actually matters when it comes to plastic food containers, ...