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Salvaged plastics imitate bizarre and beautiful sea life

16 May 2018

This deceptive artwork was created by photographing just a few of the 5 trillion bits of plastic that pollute our oceans and shorelines

Plastic waste is a problem – but some solutions are even worse

16 May 2018

Plastics have done wonders for hygiene and human health. We need to fix the waste problem – but don’t throw out the baby with the bath tub

Biodegradable plastic: Waste that eats itself

16 May 2018

Plastics that degrade on disposal already exist, and are getting better. But they won't solve the plastic trash problem on their own – and here's why

Fixing planet plastic: How we'll really solve our waste problem

16 May 2018

From bag bans to bacterial mulchers, many solutions are touted for the plastic waste crisis. Find out which work – and which don't – in our definitive guide

Fertiliser feeds us but trashes the climate – now there's a fix

15 May 2018

The way we make ammonia for fertilizer was developed a century ago and produces more than 1 per cent of all carbon emissions. Now we may have a replacement

The tides are getting stronger thanks to the shifting continents

15 May 2018

The ocean tides are the strongest they have been for millions of years, and they will get stronger for several million years to come – because of the position of the continents

Rich nations restore their own forests but trash those elsewhere

14 May 2018

As countries get richer, they start replanting their forests – but this is not a big environmental gain because they “export” the deforestation to poor countries