Plastic free

US beach town bans balloons to save the ocean

Experts say more cities should join the growing legislative trend to reduce trash, save birds and protect against wildfires

Katharine Gammon in Los Angeles

23, Feb, 2023 @6:09 PM

‘Bring a bag and use refills’: how to cut down on plastic waste

An average household throws out 3,400 plastic items a year – here’s how to shrink that and save

Sandra Haurant

20, Sep, 2022 @6:00 AM

‘I am a hypocrite’: Iceland boss Richard Walker on the retailer’s struggle to go green

The man in charge of the discount chain his father founded is battling to cut its heavy use of plastic, because ‘sustainability cannot only be for the rich’

Sarah Butler

05, Mar, 2022 @5:00 PM

DfE did nothing to help schools ditch plastics, say campaigners

Damian Hinds challenged schools to ditch disposable plastics by 2022 but goal is still long way off

Anna Turns

25, Feb, 2022 @1:10 PM

‘The cusp of a reuse revolution’: startups take the waste out of takeout

More than 70% of Americans report ordering takeout or delivery one to three times a week – resulting in hundreds of billions of single-use products

Amanda Schupak

22, Oct, 2021 @12:00 PM

New Zealand is not as clean or green as we think – plastic waste is creating a crisis | Lizzy Carmine

Ignorance about plastic recycling has tricked us into guilt-free consumption – decision makers have to give us sustainable options

Lizzy Carmine

20, Sep, 2021 @12:38 AM

Coles bins Stikeez and minis for good following criticism of plastic promotions

Environmental campaigners welcome announcement saying ‘the vast majority of the toys were either littered or dumped in landfill’

Lisa Cox

22, Jul, 2021 @5:30 PM

Call for G7 Cornwall summit to forge global plastic pollution treaty

Nestlé and UK supermarkets sign open letter calling for G7 nations to show leadership this June

Sandra Laville Environment correspondent

27, May, 2021 @6:00 AM

Down the tubes: should you brush your teeth with toothpaste tablets?

Toothpaste tablets are marketed as a plastic-free, more portable oral care solution – James Shackell bites down in search of a better brush

James Shackell

14, Feb, 2021 @4:30 PM

All that glitters: UK retailers shift away from plastic Christmas

Manufacturers and shops remove millions of pieces of single-use plastic from their ranges

Rebecca Smithers Consumer affairs correspondent

22, Dec, 2020 @7:00 AM

'It gives you a sense of pride': what four people learned from quitting plastic for a month

Planning ahead is the easiest way to reduce your plastic waste – but for Plastic Free July participants, there have been some surprising outcomes too

As told to Alyx Gorman

30, Jul, 2020 @5:30 PM

Johnnie Walker maker creates plastic-free paper-based spirits bottle

Diageo aims to begin bottling Johnnie Walker whisky using ‘world’s first’ design next year