A new EU law restricts the use of plastics in consumer products. How dependent on plastic are we? Let’s explore.
Clear plastic water bottles wrapped tightly in transparent plastic shrink wrap. (Photo by Core Rock)
Editor’s note: New rules went into effect in Europe on 12 August 2026 that limit the use of PFAS, a type of plastic that won’t easily breakdown and are known as “forever chemicals”. The new rules also regulate how much empty space a package can contain and ensure that plastic containers are easily recyclable and traceable back to their source.
At News Decoder our students and correspondents have been exploring the problem of plastics in a range of stories that we present here, to better put into perspective what Europe and the rest of the world are trying to do and the scope of the problem they are tackling.We launched Decoder Replay to help readers better understand current world events by seeing how our correspondents and students decoded similar events in the past.
To wean the toy industry off plastic is no easy game
The global toy industry has a plastics predicament: How to feed children’s appetite for new toys, keep prices low and not harm the Earth in the process. By Preety Sharma
Plastic chokes the planet and it may be with us forever
The world is awash in plastic, and it’s choking the planet with discarded trash that could be with us forever. And the problem is getting worse. By Malcolm Davidson
A treaty on plastics to combat waste colonialism
Making sure wealthy countries can’t dump their plastic waste on poor nations is important. But how can we stop producing it in the first place? By Miquéla Thornton
From refuse to reuse: Removing plastic from the table
To keep plastics out of the waste system, Ved Krishna decided to change the way food service products were made. By Samaya Chauhan
Microplastics in newborn babies — a hidden peril
They are far smaller than a human hair. But microplastics have been found in newborn babies and pose a growing threat to humans’ health. By Nazanin Meshkat
Youth “warriors” tackle noxious plastic pollution
Plastic pollution hurts humans, animals and the environment. Students from around the world gathered recently to share tactics in tackling the problem. By Ryan Rothman
Source: news-decoder.com
