Witke, V. (2026, January 5). Lansing could get a “bubble barrier” to clean Grand River plastic 

pollution – the first in the US. Retrieved Jan 25, 2026 from https://www.wkar.org/wkar -news/2026-01-05/lansing-could-get-a-bubble-barrier-to-clean-grand-river-plastic-pollution-the-first-in-the-u-s

Researchers are testing a new technology in Michigan to see if it can be used to collect trash inside the Grand River. This technology, known as a “bubble barrier,” works by placing a rubber tube diagonally across the bottom of a waterway. Air is pumped through the tube, forcing trash to the surface and then into catchment systems. Bubble barriers exist in other parts of the world, but this is the first one to be tried in the US. The benefits go beyond just catching the trash, however; researchers will study the trash collected to better understand how microplastics affect the environment. Data is being collected on the Grand River so that the bubble barrier can be optimized to collect the most trash. The barrier will be tentatively set up and tested in June. In the meantime, tests are being taken to see how this will affect our ecology.

It is very exciting to see that there are new and practical ways to address the plastic issue. I find the mechanics behind the bubble barrier to be very interesting, and a great example of how a straightforward idea can also be a great solution. It is also very smart of scientists to run tests on the plastic that is collected, make sure the bubble barrier is optimized to perform well in the current environment, and check to see if this new innovation will have dire consequences on the environment.

Hutton, D. (2025, October 22). US Tariffs Show Early Impact on Plastics Industry. Retrieved Jan 

24, 2026 from https://www.plasticstoday.com/legislation-regulations/us-tariffs-begin- 

Impacting-plastic-industry-supply

Higher tariffs imposed in early 2025 are starting to show an impact on the plastic industry, as import values for plastic resources are declining. While the decrease seems very small and is not causing major disruptions in the supply chain, it still represents the loss of a large amount of money, an estimated $1.2 billion in 2025 itself. This also does not mean that the supply chain won’t crumble in the future, in fact these changes leave the US more vulnerable to further tariffs and expose the fundamental problem of relying on imports. It is not possible to completely switch over to domestic production, as even this change would require continued imports. While raw materials have gotten cheaper, product prices are slowly increasing. It should be expected that prices will change as tariffs also change.

Given how much our country uses plastic, and also relies on foreign imports, I am not surprised that the tariffs are hitting hard. I am surprised that tariffs have not caused major challenges for the supply chain yet, but am worried about how this will affect our economy a few years into the future. I wonder if or how these tariffs will end up making us less reliant on imports, and if they can be used as a reason to incentivize lower plastic use.

Pyzyk, K. (2026, January 13). US Plastics Pact charts progress towards 2030 targets. Retrieved 

Jan 22, 2026 from https://www.packagingdive.com/news/us-plastics-pact-2024-2025- 

progress-report/809387/

The US Plastics Pact recently released a report detailing how data from 2024 stacks up against their 2030 goals. These goals were initially set for 2025, but were moved back to 2030 after it became clear that they would not be met by 2025. USPP is now much more focused on executing actions rather than foundational work, and their agenda for 2026 includes updating the list of prohibited chemicals in packaging, incentivizing film recycling through initiatives, and reporting on the “Reuse in Retail” project. As of 2024, the proportion of reusable, recyclable or compostable plastics was 54% (50% in 2023), and the 2030 goal is 100%. The average postconsumer recycled content was 14% (11% in 2023) and the 2030 goal is 30%. Finally, the proportion of participating companies that didn’t sell any “problematic materials” according to USPP was 29% (22% in 2023), and the 2030 goal is 100%.

It is great to hear that there are organizations in charge of monitoring statistics related to plastic, and I was excited to find out what the numbers looked like in 2024. It is also amazing that we have targets for 2030, but I wonder how people are incentivized to meet these targets and care about the cause. It is nice that the USPP is working to execute meaningful change and has a solid agenda for this year. Finally, I am glad to find that most of the statistics are going in the right direction and improving for the better.

George, E. (2025, December 3). We are Drowning in Plastic. Will a New Law Save Us? 

Retrieved Jan 21, 2026 from https://legal-planet.org/2025/12/03/we-are-drowning-in- 

plastic/

The author reflects on their recent efforts cleaning up Venice Beach, and the sheer amount of plastic they found during the ordeal. Many companies are now switching back to single-use plastics through products such as “single-use toothbrushes.” Plastic carries many dangerous characteristics, such as high fossil fuel usage and low recyclability rates. However, a new law has been passed in California, banning heavy plastic bags in grocery and convenience stores. Additionally, these stores will have to charge a minimum of $0.10 to provide recyclable paper bags. While this law offers hope, the author expresses concerns about its long-standing usage, given the history of CA changing or ignoring “laws like this” in the past. Even as more environmentally-sensitive laws are passed, it is important not to diminish the effort put in by local organizations during the process.

It is very unfortunate to hear about how despite previous agreements, companies are switching back to single-use plastics. I’m very hopeful that the new law works out well and helps with the plastic issue, as it seems practical and has concrete steps. It’s good that California is taking the initiative on actions like this, which may be difficult but offer hope to the situation. Finally, I really liked the author’s statement about appreciating the local organizations. There are people who put in a lot of hard work, especially when the government doesn’t go through on its part, and it’s important to remember what they are doing.

Brooks, T. (2025, December 3). Merchants of Myth: new report exposes plastic recycling as 

costly failure. Retrieved Jan 20, 2026 from https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/merchants

-of-myth/

A new report uncovered that only 20% of the most commonly produced types of plastics are actually recyclable, and plastic recycling rates have dropped almost 5% in the last 12 years. To simplify, plastic recycling is not any more of a viable solution than it was 75 years ago. In addition to glorifying plastic recycling, large corporations have taken several other measures to appease customers, including backing out of agreements and sneakily switching back to single-use plastics. These campaigns of “disinformation” have increased as the government faces political pressure. For example, MAHA (Make Americans Healthy Again) has promised to limit toxic chemicals, but has avoided the area of plastics, offering only vague statements about addressing microplastic exposure. In addition to being an environmental and safety concern, pollution/chemical exposure also disproportionately affects poor neighborhoods. Finally, the article quotes several statistics addressing the inefficiency of plastic recycling systems.

Many of us have heard that it is “bad” to recycle plastic, but most of us didn’t have a clear explanation as to why and how. It is surprising to learn about how ineffective plastic recycling actually is, and to realize how easily corporations can spread misinformation to the public. It is understandable that organizations would want to avoid addressing the issue of plastic, as it is deeply tied with consumer culture and our society, but it’s still unfortunate that many don’t want to take the lead on such critical developments. Finally, it is very sad to hear about how large corporations are backing out of agreements and switching back to single-use plastics, which have wreaked so much havoc on the environment in the past.

Marcos, K. (2025, August 15). What’s left – and lost – in the latest plastics treaty draft. Retrieved 

August 17, 2025 from https://genevasolutions.news/climate-environment/what-s-left-and

-lost-in-the-latest-plastics-treaty-draft

At this year’s Geneva conference, two proposals about plastic pollution were rejected and the countries were once again unable to come to an agreement. What many had feared would happen this year ultimately became a reality: proposed drafts split delegates further apart, and attempts to bridge the parties did little to help. Hence, negotiators are reverting to an earlier draft agreement from the 2024 Busan Conference. However, the draft agreed upon omitted several important changes proposed. Firstly, there is no mention of reducing primary plastic production. Similarly, bans on hazardous chemicals have also been removed. Finally, it is unclear who will finance this, and the process as a whole seems very shaky. 

It’s unfortunate to hear about what happened at this year’s Geneva Conference, as this negotiation in particular had high hopes for progress. Given that the treaty reverted to an earlier version from last year, and also that most specific and impactful details were removed, I am wondering what, if any, progress this will ultimately lead to.

Zinin, A. (2025, August 2). New push to reach plastic pollution pact. Retrieved August 3,

2025 from https://phys.org/news/2025-08-plastic-pollution-pact.html

Negotiations will continue in Geneva on August 5th, though different groups have different ideas about how to tackle the issue. Representatives from almost 180 nations will be attending, following the inability to reach a decision in a similar conference last December. The 2024 conference was at Busan, South Korea, and ended up dividing the nations into two main groups: countries that wanted to limit production, and mostly oil-producing nations that wanted to focus on treating existing waste. There are many reasons why plastic is a pressing issue, such as the prevalence of ‘forever chemicals’ and the concerning trajectory of plastic production in the future. However, there is one important change: developing countries are starting to get more involved in these conferences. They are often the ones who end up facing the brunt of pollution, and believe that the decision should be a “skeleton” that covers all plastic-related problems.

I remember hearing about the Geneva negotiation in a previous article, though that was long before reading this one and it is good to know that people are following up on it. I think that it is great to have so much representation in the conference, especially from smaller, poorer, and more remote countries. The plans described in the article make a lot of sense to me, though I hope that they can be properly executed. The main thing I worry about is that this becomes another Busan situation: the nations divide into groups with different viewpoints, and nothing ends up happening due to the arguments. All in all, this conference still gives me a lot of hope.

Walker, T., Diamond, M., (2025, July 9). Plastics threaten ecosystems and human health, but 

evidence-based solutions are under political fire. Retrieved July 11, 2025 from 

https://phys.org/news/2025-07-plastics-threaten-ecosystems-human-health.html

The UN is creating a legally binding plastic treaty on a global scale, and negotiations will resume this August. 40% of plastic produced is manufactured for single use, causing it to be a massive threat to organisms, including humans. In addition to being dangerous, plastic is also one of the fastest growing environmental threats. Plastic waste is expected to triple by 2060, reaching 1.2 billion tons. In Canada, about 47% of plastic comes from food/beverages, yet only 9% of plastic is recycled, creating huge pollution and landfill issues. By 2035, Canada is projected to completely run out of landfill space. Over 93% of Canadians consider plastic to be an issue, and in 2022, Canada passed a ban on single-use plastics. While scientists agree that plastic is a problem, many politicians are denying the severity of the situation. However, environmentalists are working towards a global law, noting that it goes miles to help with the plastic problem.

Even though it is widely known that plastic is a big environmental problem, it is still shocking for me to see some of the statistics presented in this article. It is good to know that places such as Canada are taking steps towards the issue, by identifying and implementing problems that are big enough to be effective but small enough to be practical. While I do not want to make any generalizations about the government, I believe that the politicians who are treating this as a “political discussion” topic should instead treat the issue with more severity and work towards potential solutions. Finally, I think that getting a global law ratified would be a huge step in the right direction, though I wonder how something like this can be successfully implemented and enforced.

Odhiambo, W. (2025, June 26). Pollution solution? Plastic-eating worm found in Africa. 

Retrieved June 30, 2025 from https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story= 

 20250625135839998

In 2024, an insect native to Africa, known as the Lesser Mealworm, was discovered in Kenya with the unique ability to break down and degrade certain types of plastic, including Styrofoam. While some insects have similar abilities, this is the first one native to Africa. Research is being done to see how these insects can consume plastic quickly, in a way that is environmentally friendly. Rather than releasing these insects into trash sites, scientists are going a more practical and sustainable route: extracting and developing the enzyme inside the worm. In an experiment, the worms were able to degrade up to 47% of polystyrene, a microplastic widespread in the environment. Africa is especially affected by the crisis due to poor infrastructure in many places, so these worms offer a symbol of hope. These worms also allow a cheaper and nutritious way to feed livestock or fish.

Plastic has become a huge problem in recent years, so any new solution we find is amazing. However, I think that a bug that can degrade plastic is especially hopeful, because that means that the solution is natural and more environmentally stable than other options. It is also interesting to think about how having less money or infrastructure can affect all areas of a society, including solving environmental problems such as plastic pollution. I see how this solution offers a lot of hope to Africa, as it is the first of its kind to be found there. The passage also mentioned that the worms can be used to degrade plastic, but also as a cheap and nutritious way to feed livestock and as bait for fishing. These kinds of solutions seem especially amazing to me as they can target multiple different issues in society.

Freudenberger, J. (2025, April 1). The plastic problem is bad; its health effects are worse.              

Retrieved June 30, 2025 from https://salish-current.org/2025/04/01/the-plastic-problem 

-is-bad-its-health-effects-are-worse/

Several years of research have revealed the truth: plastic is not just bad for the environment, but also to humans. Microplastics have been found in many organs in the human body, with plastic in the brain having a noticeable correlation with dementia. Bisphenols and phthalates found in plastic have been proven to lead to challenges in learning, attention, and cognitive function in humans. Plastic production has increased to 460 million tons today, thanks to large fossil-carbon corporations that have seen a significant drop in fossil fuel demands due to “going green” movements There is a widespread misconception that plastic can be recycled, though in reality we don’t have a trash system yet that can break down the thousands of chemicals found in plastics. The country is paying trillions of dollars in hospitals due to plastic ingestion, and California is suing plastic producers for damaging the ecosystem.

Plastic has widespread effects on the environment, ranging from fish and marine life to consumers of marine life, including us humans. While we have long known that plastic is polluting our oceans and even that we ingest microplastics in our everyday lives, it is often overlooked just how dangerous it is for you, causing issues no matter where it ends up in the human body. I was also shocked by just how many different chemicals are found in plastic, and this gave me a better understanding on why plastic litter is so bad for the environment in the first place. On another note, this article also helped me understand what we can do about these problems, and how in a greener age, plastic is heavily looked down upon by society.