Latest update: 01/10/2010

- oceans - pollution

The plastic trap

From food packaging to furniture, clothing to computers, plastic is everywhere. Millions of tons of plastics are processed every year and huge swills of it are building up in our oceans: A threat to the environment and the marine ecosystem but also for our health.

ENVIRONMENT

During the last half of the century, mankind has produced enough plastic to cover the face of the earth 6 times over. Everyday, 675 tons of plastic are thrown away into the sea, turning the world’s oceans into giant rubbish bins. With ocean currents, particles concentrate and have formed into large swathes of waste. And it’s a pollution that is almost impossible to clean. Nevertheless, one Dutch architecture firm believes there is a solution and launched a high scale recycling project.

How do you turn a potato into a 100% biodegradable plastic bag? ENVIRONMENT discovered the innovative process of a bioplastic factory in Dieppe. Accounting only for 0.5% of world production, this technology is still in its early stage of development but looks promising Bioplastics can be made from maize, potatoes or even sugar cane but requires vast amounts of energy to cultivate, irrigate and fertilize the crops. Transportation is also needed for raw materials to be imported. Alogether, bioplastic reveals a pretty big carbon footprint for a supposedly environmentally friendly product.

The fight against plastic is an environmental struggle, but also a public health issue. Most of what we eat, drink or touch is made out of plastic. Many experts are worried about the substances that our toys, water bottles or packaging may contain. Recent studies have shown that bisphenol A and phtalates end up in our blood, having an impact on fertility, asthma or cancer. As experts urge government to take action, they also warn consumers on the risks they are facing.

Mairead Dundas

Presenter

07/05/2012 - ENVIRONMENT

SOS: Plants in danger

Across the world, plants and flowers are increasingly reaching the brink of extinction. We get the chance the hold one of the rarest plants in the world, find out how invasive species are killing precious forests in New Caledonia, and check out a controversial scheme to keep back the encroaching sands of the Sahara desert.

21/04/2012 - ENVIRONMENT

Into the deep

This week we head to the French island of Corsica to investigate an almost invisible pollution choking the Mediterranean Sea. Up to 250 billion fragments of plastic are believed to be swarming just below the water's surface.

07/04/2012 - ENVIRONMENT

Dry Horizons

Rising global temperatures mean drought is increasingly commonplace across the world. Farmers are seeing crop yields diminish as once-fertile lands dry up. This week we’re out exploring innovative water-saving techniques in France, Israel and Peru.

24/03/2012 - ENVIRONMENT

Green in the city

Is it possible to be eco-friendly and live in a city? We check out the ways urbanites are changing their city lifestyles to become greener.

10/03/2012 - ENVIRONMENT

World Water Forum: thirst for change

This week we're in the French city of Marseille for the 6th World Water Forum. Over 25,000 leaders, experts and volunteers are gathering to discuss how to approach the most critical and endangered resource of all time: water.

Comments (1)

A society with no glass

by Theophilus Ghos... - 11/10/2010 - 21:04

Glass served us very well in the not too distant past. It does not leach chemicals into our food and drinks, deposits ensure recycling, and glass can be recycled indefinatly with less energy than creating new. I seek out glass for food and beverage containers in stores. It is not easy to find. Looza is one of the last juices that use glass. Perrier is my prefered water. I also only store my food and beverages at home in glass. Write to companies and ask them to switch to glass. They won't do it if no one asks.

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