marine pollution

World Oceans Day: What is the blue economy?

Wednesday (8 June) is World Oceans Day, and the UN is set to host an Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue shortly after. Non-state actors are set to participate more than ever before – so could this year be a tipping point for scaling investment to create a thriving ‘blue economy’?

Sky partners with Ambienta to spur corporate funding for projects tackling ocean plastic

Circular economy

World’s deepest waters becoming ‘ultimate sink’ for plastic waste

Circular economy

Businesses team with UN to plot course for ‘healthy’ oceans

Oil and gas firm Total, insurance giant Gard AS and Norwegian maritime conference Nor-Shipping are among the six corporations which will lead a new United Nations (UN) initiative to help the private sector tackle ocean issues including overfishing, marine litter and acidification.

Drop in plastic bags littering British seas linked to introduction of 5p charge

A big drop in plastic bags found in the seas around Britain has been credited to the introduction of charges for plastic bags across Europe.

Circular economy

Coca-Cola increased its production of plastic bottles by a billion last year, says Greenpeace

Coca-Cola increased its production of throwaway plastic bottles last year by well over a billion, according to analysis by Greenpeace.

Circular economy

Major seafood firms unite to pledge ocean stewardship

Nine major seafood companies, with a combined annual revenue of around £23bn, have committed to establish sustainable supply chains through the prevention of prohibited activities such as overfishing and slave labour.

Social sustainability

Greenpeace slams ‘jaw-dropping’ inaction on marine pollution from soft drinks firms

A new Greenpeace UK report has condemned the "woeful lack of action" by the soft drinks industry to prevent ocean plastic pollution, as figures show the world's top six brands use a combined average of just 6.6% recycled plastic in their bottles.

Circular economy

#OceanRescue: Sky drives engagement on ocean plastic waste through new social campaign

Broadcasting company Sky has turned to social media to increase awareness of the "major challenge" of plastic waste in the oceans, using celebrities and behaviour change tips as levers to inspire and educate consumers.

Circular economy

Government plans to ban microbeads from cosmetics by October 2017

The UK Government has today (20 December) set out plans to remove microbeads from cosmetics and personal care products by October 2017.

Policy

Adidas launches mass-produced ocean plastic trainers

Global sportswear company Adidas looks set to push around 7,000 pairs of trainers made from 95% ocean plastic into the market, alongside setting a new goal to produce one million ocean plastic pairs of trainers by 2017.

Circular economy

UK to double marine protection areas around overseas territories

More than £20m will be invested in doubling the area of ocean under marine protection around British overseas territories, the Government has announced today (15 September).

Circular economy

Plastic waste dumped in UK seas ‘carried to Arctic within two years’

Plastic dumped into the seas around the UK is carried to the Arctic within two years, scientists have revealed, where it does "extreme harm" to the fragile polar environment.

Circular economy

G-Star RAW launches scheme to halt plastic pollution in oceans

Designer clothing company G-Star RAW has joined forces with marine pollution campaign group the Plastic Soup Foundation in an effort to prevent microfibres creating plastic pollution in the world's oceans.

Social sustainability

Pollution triples mercury levels in ocean surface waters, study finds

The amount of mercury near the surface of many of the world's oceans has tripled as the result of our polluting activities, a new study has found, with potentially damaging implications for marine life as the result of the accumulation of the toxic metal.