Discount chain Aldi is switching a range of its fresh produce packaging from hard-to-recycle black plastic to clear, recyclable alternatives, in a move that is set to save around 265 tonnes of plastic a year. The supermarket has announced that it will introduce the new plastic trays to six of its fresh fruit and vegetable lines by the end of this month, as it strives towards a 2025 goal of ensuring all of its own-brand packaging is recyclable, reusable or compostable. Aldi
Researchers in the US have been investigating the final journeys taken by disposable contact lenses. They found 15-20% of US users simply flick these fiddly lenses down the drain via the bathroom sink or toilet. The Arizona State University study suggests that much of the plastic material then ends up in waste water treatment plants. The lenses are consequently spread on farmland as sewage sludge, increasing plastic pollution in the environment. Around 45m people wear contacts in the US, while rates in other countries
In recent years, the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR) has caught on, first in Europe in the 1990s and since then in the rest of the world, including the U.S. The concept is relatively simple: Companies that make consumer goods are given responsibility for managing their products and packaging at their end of life. The concept, as the Journal of Cleaner Production points out, is to turn what was formerly waste “into the ‘food’ for industry and the next
And they make the ultimate addition to your weekend beverage. With each and every one of the beverage industry’s latest developments—think frosé, anti-aging pink gin and rosé cider—sending millennials into a frenzy, it’s no surprise that one of the largest producers of your favourite spirits has surfaced with its very own must-have product. Alcoholic beverages company Diageo (the parent company of Gordon’s Gin and Schweppes) has introduced a range of edible straws that each serve
‘The world doesn’t need a treaty on plastic waste reduction’ UNEP chief Erik Solheim, during his visit to India, the global host for World Environment Day, says unlike climate change, plastic waste can be tackled without treaties and targets By Banjot Kaur Erik Solheim, UNEP chief, talks to Down To Earth, hours before he was going to attend the main event in New Delhi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Credit: United Nations India is the global host for this year’s
Plastic is an invention that turned into Frankenstein’s monster. Benefits of plastics are undeniable; they are economical, portable and durable. But this advantage (extended durability) has now become its greatest disadvantage. India generates about 15,000 tonnes of plastic waste per day and contributes to 8 per cent of the total solid waste generation. The problem, however, is not the quantity of waste generated, but the fact that only 60 per cent of it is processed and the remaining 6,000 tonnes of
It is high time that Producers of the Plastic Waste or any kind of Waste becomes responsible for the waste generation part of the product. India is very new to the concept of PRO i.e. Producer Responsibility Organization. PRO means the responsibility is till the end of the life cycle of the product i.e. Cradle to Grave Approach for the Product. PRO is a European concept which has been in European Nations close to 30 years. PRO’s task is to setup
Many Brands are following on the lines of Adidas which launched its range of footwear entirely made of ocean based post consumer recyclable plastics and have already sold close to 1 million shoes since 2016. It has opened a new market for the shoe industry as it is manufactured from a Yarn developed by Parley that is made from recyclable plastic thus reducing amount of plastic waste and increasing the longevity of single use disposable post-consumer plastic. Each shoe is
Plastic used in everyday objects from bottles to packaging emit greenhouse gases when exposed to sunlight, according to a study released on August 1, as global concern about its impact on the world’s oceans grows. Plastic pollution has come under increased scrutiny from environmentalists as the scale of the problem has become clear – this year it emerged that a giant island made up of plastic waste in the Pacific Ocean was far larger than thought. Now scientists have discovered that
The Maharashtra government is set to roll out a buyback scheme for waste plastic PET bottles and milk pouches. It’ll be the first state to implement a buyback depository system, joining 40 other nations. Soon, returning an empty milk pouch could fetch one 50 paise. Here’s a look at what this scheme is all about. WHAT IS MAHARASHTRA’S PLASTIC DEPOSITORY SYSTEM? Like some other states, one time use plastic and thermocol items have been banned under the Maharashtra Plastic & ThermocolProducts Act,
