The year 2050 has been predicted by some to be a bleak year for the ocean. Experts say that by 2050 there may be more plastic than fish in the sea, or perhaps only plastic left. Others say 90 percent of our coral reefs may be dead, waves of mass marine extinction may be unleashed, and …
With only a decade of action left for the sustainable development agenda, UNDP is looking beyond business as usual, to find new ways to learn from the margins, and to look into radically new approaches that fit the complexity of development challenges. One of those new approaches is learning from women and men who have solved problems through ingenuity and …
A Kenyan entrepreneur is being lauded by the UN for developing a machine that recycles discarded plastic into paving stones for use in construction projects. Nzambi Matee’s invention not only keeps plastic out of landfill sites, it also offers a cheaper alternative to conventional concrete paving slabs. “I am a …
A new IUCN report finds that an estimated 229,000 tonnes of plastic are leaking into the Mediterranean Sea every year – equivalent to over 500 shipping containers each day. Unless significant measures are taken to address mismanaged waste, the main source of the leakage, this will at least double by …
While working for the decades-old family fashion business, Sissi Chao had an experience that literally took her breath away. “Not long after I started, I started visiting our fabric suppliers,” said Chao. “I could hardly breathe, even before I got in the building. It was awful. Every supplier was the …
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Food Industry Asia (FIA) today released a regional survey of consumers and food and beverage businesses across South-East Asia that shows a significant disconnect between expectation and action on reducing plastic waste. The challenges of plastic pollution have only increased in the past …
With eight million tonnes of plastic entering the ocean ever year, innovation is critical to find new approaches to waste management, especially as the world looks to build back better after COVID-19. A group of students in Kenya took on this challenge and created “Plastiki Rafiki” (Swahili for ‘Friendly Plastic’) …
