environmental science research for everyone
Some of our best insight into the types of plastic litter in the ocean comes from examining what is ingested by sea turtles. Recent research looks at how the composition of plastic waste changes with ocean depth, as informed by the eating patterns of sea turtles.
Read moreDo you have an old cell phone at home that is simply sitting in a drawer collecting dust? In fact, roughly eighty percent of us do. While there are many reasons we may feel the need to hang onto our relic devices, there are important reasons to recycle them. One reason is our phones contain valuable materials that are finite in nature. As we continue to mine for these materials, we lose habitat and endanger wildlife. One program in Australia worked to collect cell phones over a six year period, highlighting the importance of recycling efforts while bringing awareness to how recycling can help species, like gorillas, to survive.
Read moreBiodegradable plastics are being introduced as a solution to the buildup of plastics in the environment, and they are often touted as being an environmentally-friendly option. However, they come with their own complications. Researchers have investigated how specific biodegradable plastics break down (or don’t) in different environments, showing that how they are disposed of makes a big difference in how environmentally-friendly they are.
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