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Ellie Tam.

‘Plastic anxiety’: Is this the next big shift in activewear?

Growing concerns about the effects of plastics on our health and the environment are changing what modern consumers want from their workout gear.

  • Lauren Ironmonger

Latest

Microplastics found on a beach at Manly Cove. They are ubiquitous.

Away from the headlines, microplastics field grapples with tricky questions

The year was 1966. The Soviets landed on the moon, the Beatles were more popular than Jesus, and plastic was still a miracle.

  • Liam Mannix
Were we wrong about microplastics?

The ‘bombshell’ science that casts doubt on claims about microplastics

New findings have some scientists concerned about the technology used to detect tiny pieces of plastic in the body.

  • Sarah Knapton
Infrared imaging shows how hot a sportsfield in Gables gets.

On a hot day, astroturf can reach up to 75 degrees. That’s only the start of its problems

Rubber crumb and synthetic turf have proliferated on sporting fields and playgrounds in Australian cities, but are a growing problem for climate adaptation as well as PFAS and microplastic pollution.

  • Caitlin Fitzsimmons
Food manufacturers are innovating packaging.

Square juice bottles, canned wine: Why your food packaging is getting smarter

Fully recyclable materials, smart labels and better use of space are examples of more sustainable retail that can also influence shopping behaviour.

  • Jessica Yun
The most divisive issues include capping production, managing plastic products and chemicals of concern, and financing to help developing countries implement the treaty.

Biodegradable plastics that actually break down might finally be here

What if you could add enzymes to plastic, which would decompose the plastic into safe and biodegradable parts after use? Scientists are doing just that.

  • Bianca Hall
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Black plastic trays go straight to landfill.

These common plastic items can’t be recycled, but everyone throws them in the wrong bin anyway

Federal government says it’s working to phase out single-use plastics and transform Australia’s packaging rules.

  • Madeleine Heffernan
Amelia Davatzis.

Microplastics are everywhere. How worried should parents be?

Experts and peak health bodies are divided around how worried we should be about microplastics. What should parents make of this?

  • Lauren Ironmonger
A trolley full of products covered in unnecessary plastic.

How we got conned into recycling by Big Plastic

Rinsing that yoghurt tub was never going to solve the problem. We’ve all been fooled.

  • Jonathan Baker
We took a walk with leading plastics campaigner Cip Hamilton through a supermarket to search for wasteful packaging. It didn't take long.
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Plastic isn't fantastic: Cataloguing single-use plastics in supermarkets

We took a walk with leading plastics campaigner Cip Hamilton through a supermarket to search for wasteful packaging. It didn't take long.