Plastics, Polymers and Rubber Manufacturing

Victoria's environment watchdog has dropped allegations against a soft plastics recycling company, but says more serious charges could be coming.

Do you know your PP from your HDPE, and your PVC from your soft plastics? Plastic recycling is a minefield, so here's how to tell what you're dealing with and which bin you should put it in.

New research reveals the extent of Australia's single-use plastic waste, as global leaders "negotiate" over a plastics treaty.

From how clean your recycling needs to be to how many donated clothes are actually resold — can you sort your waste facts from fiction.

Australia, we're still in a war with waste, and while not all of the solutions rest with households, there’s still plenty we can do at home to reduce our waste footprint.

The plant-based bio-wrap industry is challenging the dominance of petroleum-based plastics, as consumers become increasingly willing to pay for environmentally friendly alternatives.

A pipe which stopped being sold in the US almost 30 years ago is failing in some Top End homes, leading experts to call for an update to Australia's plumbing codes.

The host of War on Waste takes us behind the scenes of the latest series and discusses what derailed national momentum to reduce waste and how we can get back on track.

Toys are the most plastic-intensive consumer goods in the world. So how can we avoid movie tie-in fads adding to the surging plastic waste problem, asks Alan Pears.

A global team of scientists examined plastic debris in 38 lakes and reservoirs across 23 countries and six continents, demonstrating the extent to which plastics have invaded Earth's ecosystems.

This toxic waste dump in Victoria contained everything from PFAS to asbestos — and even cash and a dog wrapped in a mattress — buried in 32 locations, some the size of AFL fields. Now $40 million later, the clean-up is almost complete.

Australia has a long way to go to becoming one of the world's great recycling nations. Here's what we could learn from other countries.

Using PVC granules, a WA scrap dealer is partnering with engineers to test an "economically viable" solution to Australia's plastic recycling problem.

Federal, state and territory environment ministers have provided the first details about what the new regulations will mean for manufacturers. 

As a nationwide plastic export ban is temporarily lifted, there's concern about a lack of onshore recycling facilities in Australia. But it's inspiring some businesses to find solutions, turning plastic bottle lids into designer products.

A message left in this plastic bottle revealed the packaging had stayed intact after a decade at sea, but it could have lasted 450 years.

Two types of fungi commonly found in backyards can be used to break down one of the world's most stubborn plastics — and scientists say this discovery could be a significant step in addressing the recycling crisis.

The Ocean Cleanup, brainchild of young Dutch entrepreneur Boyan Slat, was feted as the beginning of the end for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Ten years from its inception, is it any closer to achieving its goal?

As WA transitions to plastic-free disposable coffee cups, retailers are turning to compostable coffee cups. But it is causing some confusion over how to correctly dispose of them.    

Questions are being raised about a $640,000 grant to make polystyrene waffle pods after the same material was banned under the Plastic Reduction and Circular Economy Act 2021.  

The Northern Territory government is accused of "greenwashing" after removing the term "petrochemicals" from its official documents about a new industrial hub on Darwin Harbour.

On a Senegalese beach covered with plastic trash, environmental activist Modou Fall wears a uniform of plastic bags, cups and other junk in an effort to talk to anyone who will listen about the problems of plastics. 

Technology is now available to trace plastic waste back to its producer, and researchers are arguing for a legal framework that makes producers responsible for the entire life cycle of the plastic they use.

A wide range of single-use plastic products will be banned in South Australia over the next three years, the state government says. 

Single-use plastics were banned years ago in Darwin. But since then, alternatives have been melting in the heat. So, where to from here?