plastic

Eco-friendly straws: Edible straws made by bacteria are better than paper or plastic ones

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Plastic straws are increasingly being avoided for both health and environmental reasons, but the alternatives all have their downsides – until now Technology 17 January 2022 By Leah Crane Paper straws are not ideal Benjamin John/Alamy When it comes to drinking with a straw, there is no perfect option – plastic straws can release microplastics … Read more

Study Finds Alarming Levels of Microplastics in The Feces of People With IBD

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Motes of weathered plastic increasingly dust every corner of our planet, permeating our food, our air, and our water. From the moment we’re born – if not long before – we’re exposed to its effects, and we don’t fully know what that’s doing to our health and wellbeing.   A recent investigation by a team of researchers … Read more

Plastic food packaging gets a bad rap, but does it always deserve it?

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By James Wong DigiPub/Getty Images Social media can be a powerful force for positive change, especially when it comes to environmental issues. A seemingly perfect example is the drive to stem the tide of single-use plastic, particularly when it comes to food packaging. Huge campaigns – including organised groups descending on supermarkets to strip and … Read more

News at a glance: Tackling U.S. plastic waste, targeting Omicron with an antibody, and new AI institute | Science

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ECOLOGY Hippo gut microbes make a splash A study of hippo pools in Africa suggests the microscopic gut residents of these massive animals have an unexpected influence outside their bodies. Like almost all animals, hippos (Hippopotamus amphibius) host beneficial gut microbes, such as bacteria that aid digestion. But when hippos defecate into the large pools … Read more