Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Items such as coffee cups and bin liners are wrongly labelled ‘compostable’, leading to calls for governments to impose standards Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast “Massive amounts” of plastic contamination is getting into food and garden waste through user error and misleading “biodegradable” labelling, waste industry experts have warned. Leading figures at some of Australia’s largest waste companies are calling for the government to standardise certification of compostable products, as many bin liners, compostable coffee cups and other material labelled “compostable” or “biodegradable” do not break down into organic matter. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Findings highlight how built environment in low-income neighborhoods presents multiple PFAS exposure routes New research aimed at identifying which US neighborhoods face increased exposure to toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” found those living near “superfund” sites and other major industrial polluters, or in areas with limited access to fresh food, generally have higher levels of the dangerous compounds in their blood. The study looked at hundreds of people living in southern California and found those who do not live within a half mile of a grocery store have 14% higher levels of PFOA and PFOS – two common PFAS compounds – in their blood than those who do. Continue reading...

Government puts forward £1.98bn in funding over three years, an increase of about 40% on last pledge The UK has increased its contribution to the World Bank, in a move that will boost prospects for climate finance. Next week, at a meeting in Seoul of the International Development Association (IDA) – the body that funds the World Bank’s support for low-income countries – the UK will put forward £1.98bn in funding over three years, an increase of about 40% on the previous pledge. Continue reading...

‘Important shift’ made in global attempts to address plastic pollution though final treaty text yet to be agreed Pressure from an increasingly large bloc of countries has offered hope that a breakthrough at critical international plastic treaty talks could be in sight at last, after two years of deadlock. But some warned that fragile progress could disappear again in the last stages of negotiations over the weekend. For some time, the talks have been split over demands for the treaty to include plans to reduce the amount of plastic that is being produced – a production cap. A draft text for a final deal published on Friday included language for a global target to reduce the amount of plastic made. But it also included another option for no text – meaning no action would be taken to reduce plastic production worldwide. The final text, which may use either of those options, will hopefully be decided this weekend. Continue reading...