https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. As part of their marketing strategy, many companies send public relations packages full of curated products to social media influencers, who film themselves opening the gifts on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-explores-environmental-perceptions-pr-gifts.html Economics & Business Thu, 25 Jun 2026 11:20:06 EDT news701597401 A new "prescription for the planet" aims to address the deepening environmental crisis. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-prescription-environmental-crisis.html Environment Tue, 23 Jun 2026 21:20:01 EDT news701447161 In the future, microorganisms could help return hard-to-recycle plastics to the recycling loop. Nick Wierckx, a molecular biologist at Jülich, explains the opportunities offered by biological recycling processes and the challenges of a truly circular economy. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-qa-biological-plastic-recycling-raw.html Biotechnology Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:00:02 EDT news701086621 Tourism businesses across Aotearoa New Zealand are working to become more sustainable, but a new study shows the process is complex and rarely straightforward. The research, based on in-depth interviews, data analysis and site visits with established tourism operators across the country, examines how businesses move from good intentions to more sustainable ways of working. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-tourism-firms-complex-path-sustainability.html Economics & Business Wed, 17 Jun 2026 23:00:01 EDT news700914882 We see glass objects every day and often don't think much about them. Mass-produced glass has become so cheap we barely think about the things it allows us to do. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-glassblowing-everyday-life-ancient-rome.html Archaeology Sun, 14 Jun 2026 18:30:01 EDT news700232984 A new cellulose-based material platform developed in Finland responds to tightening regulatory requirements and industry pressure to both replace and reduce plastic in packaging, including emerging thresholds such as limiting plastic content to below 5 wt% in fiber-based materials. The technology enables transparent, high-performance films and coatings that match the functionality of plastics while supporting industrial scalability and enabling simplified recycling or biodegradation across multiple environments. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cellulose-plastic-enabling-recycling-biodegradation.html Materials Science Sat, 13 Jun 2026 15:30:03 EDT news700318446 The quality of recycled plastic tends to be higher when the waste is pre-sorted by households compared with plastics recovered from mixed waste at a recycling facility in the Netherlands, research in Nature suggests. While mixed waste (not pre-sorted) collections may increase overall recycling volumes, this comes at the cost of reduced quality of the recycled product. The findings highlight the need to improve recycling collection and sorting systems. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-home-recycling-higher-quality-plastic.html Environment Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:00:04 EDT news699787949 Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a new method to recycle mixed plastic packaging without using harmful chemical solvents—an approach that could make one of the world's most difficult waste streams significantly easier to handle. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-cleaner-recycling-method-reusable-plastics.html Polymers Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:20:07 EDT news699711488 Picture a pile of trash the size of Manhattan and taller than one and a half Empire State Buildings. That's how much plastic waste the world is predicted to be generating every year by 2050 if nothing is done to change course. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-lot-recycled-plastic-overseas-widespread.html Environment Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:20:04 EDT news699700442 With help from a novel cross-linking molecule, MIT chemists have shown they can substantially improve the ballistic impact resistance of common polymers, including polystyrene and a type of rubber used to make shoe soles. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-common-plastics-ballistic-impacts-linking.html Polymers Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:00:12 EDT news699694921 Nearly a billion pounds of plastic film mulch is used in American agriculture each year, and most of it is dumped into landfills. New research from Washington State University shows that recycling could be a feasible alternative, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and keeping plastics out of the waste stream. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dirty-farm-plastic-cleaner-mulch.html Environment Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:00:06 EDT news699529767 Ahead of World No Tobacco Day May 31, the American Thoracic Society and our Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) partners reiterate the need for countries to urgently implement decisions made at the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-bad-health-environment-lung-experts.html Environment Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:20:01 EDT news699524654 "Biodegradable" has become one of the most reassuring words in modern packaging. It appears on coffee cups, shopping bags and food containers, implying a promise: this product is better for the environment because nature will eventually take care of it. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-biodegradable-packaging-key.html Materials Science Sun, 31 May 2026 17:00:02 EDT news699097269 Marine microplastics affect algae's ability to grow and photosynthesize. Researchers have now calculated what impact this has on the greenhouse effect and the ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-impact-microplastics-ocean-carbon-uptake.html Environment Sun, 24 May 2026 12:00:01 EDT news698420234 The mighty Congo River feeds millions of people along its course through the vast Democratic Republic of Congo but fishermen near the capital now find more plastic than fish in their nets. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-dr-congo-fishermen-resort-trawling.html Environment Wed, 20 May 2026 05:12:24 EDT news698472676 The textile industry produces a substantial portion of the world's waste, with only about 12% of fiber materials ending up in recycling. Textiles also account for much of the microplastics in oceans. During every wash cycle, synthetic fibers shed microplastics that are flushed down the drain and eventually enter aquatic environments. Increasing textile recycling alone won't solve this problem because most petrochemical-based fibers are difficult to recycle and continue to release persistent microplastics throughout their life cycle. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-recyclable-protein-textiles-microplastic-pollution.html Materials Science Sat, 16 May 2026 11:00:04 EDT news697991435 A collaboration between electrical and chemical engineers at Newcastle University is responsible for a reversible glue that can change how we recycle electronic waste. The team has already demonstrated reversible adhesive technology with wide applicability in general packaging applications, but this new glue is electrically conductive. This means that it can join electronic components, just like solder does. Unlike solder, however, a simple wash with a green solvent like acetone, or using an alkaline solution, will allow the components to be separated for reuse or recycling. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-reversible-reshape-electronics-recycling-material.html Materials Science Thu, 14 May 2026 18:00:01 EDT news697991182 Silk threads can be fused into transparent, plastic-like materials that twist terahertz frequencies of light, according to research led by Imperial College London, University of Michigan Engineering and Tufts University. The findings could enable components of 6G networks to be made from upcycled silk. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-silk-strong-plastic-materials-6g.html Polymers Thu, 14 May 2026 15:07:22 EDT news697990021 Feelings of despair at the state of the world can be overwhelming. Social and environmental problems persist, but political discourse is polarized, divisive and often ineffective. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-nudge-theory-responsibility-big-business.html Economics & Business Mon, 11 May 2026 18:40:01 EDT news697724222 Recycled polyester activewear and swimwear are now everywhere. Major global brands sell leggings, swimsuits and puffer jackets with labels that claim they're "made from recycled plastic bottles." Millions of people buy these products believing they're making a more sustainable choice. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-recycled-polyester-leggings-sustainable.html Environment Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:40:01 EDT news696588122 With nearly 400 years under its cork, glass is still the top choice for consumers when it comes to packaging preferences for wine, but sustainability concerns may open the way to other container types, a study by food science and economics researchers has found. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-glass-dethroned-wine-packaging-unbox.html Economics & Business Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:00:03 EDT news696140702 With the aim to precisely understand its function, researchers from the Inorganic Chemistry Department and Interface Science Department of the Fritz Haber Institute, together with colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, investigated the Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst system used for industrial methanol production during reaction conditions. They found that the dynamic, temperature-sensitive nature of the Cu-ZnO interaction is the key to its function—opening up new avenues for rationally improving this process. Their findings are published in Nature Catalysis. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-catalyst-reveals-temperature-driven-shifts.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:00:05 EDT news696078782 Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have discovered a new class of polymers as part of the work carried out within the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1357 Microplastics. These polymers are characterized by biodegradable and recyclable properties and can also be processed in a more sustainable way. The researchers report their findings in the journal Small. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-discovery-polymer-class-compostable-alternative.html Polymers Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:40:04 EDT news696075541 Antimicrobial resistance is becoming a global burden in human health and food production, so affordable new materials are needed to overcome this growing problem. To answer the call, a multidisciplinary research team led by Flinders University with U.K. experts has discovered a novel solution for safe and effective use in antimicrobial and antifungal applications. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-breakthrough-sulfur-polymer-dangerous-fungi.html Polymers Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:00:13 EDT news695986546 Among the various plastic recycling methods being explored, one promising approach is biological plastic recycling, also known as biorecycling, which utilizes enzymes or microorganisms to break down polymer molecules. One group of enzymes attracting attention is microbial cutinases. These enzymes are naturally produced by bacteria and fungi to degrade the waxy outer layer of plants, known as the cuticle. Because they can act on similar chemical bonds, they are considered promising for recycling poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), a plastic used in bottles and synthetic fibers. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-enzyme-reveals-plastic-recycling.html Polymers Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:20:05 EDT news695903101 Conflicts of interest and unclear responsibilities are hampering efforts to recover lost and illegally discarded fishing gear in the Baltic Sea. Despite EU and regional measures, progress on tackling "ghost gear" pollution has stalled, according to a new study published in Maritime Studies. The authors, including RIFS researcher Ben Boteler, call for stronger cross-sectoral coordination and clearer mandates. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-gaps-baltic-sea-ghost-gear.html Environment Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:40:01 EDT news695493122 The Environmental Protection Agency is reconsidering whether facilities that recycle plastic chemically should be held to the same strict air pollution standards as incinerators. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-epa-ease-chemical-plastic-recycling.html Environment Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:40:03 EDT news695464497 Rhodium is one of the most powerful catalytic metals known to chemistry. Small amounts of it can drive reactions that produce millions of tons of useful chemicals every year. But getting rhodium to work well—quickly, selectively, and without degrading—depends heavily on the ligands surrounding it. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-arsenic-lined-crystal-pore.html Analytical Chemistry Sun, 12 Apr 2026 17:00:01 EDT news695035888 A new University at Buffalo study finds that people in the United States generate similar amounts of plastic packaging waste regardless of income, education level or where they live. Yet wealthier and more college-educated communities are much more likely to recycle soda bottles, takeout containers and other plastic packaging. Why? It's complicated, but the study, published in Communications Sustainability, suggests that unequal access to recycling infrastructure plays a key role. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-doesnt-recycle-plastic-lack-access.html Environment Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:00:03 EDT news694795321 In a high-end fashion store or luxury car showroom, the term "vegan leather" sends a strong message of quality. For many shoppers, it promises the look and feel of real leather without using animal skins. As brands move away from animal leather, "vegan" has come to suggest something that is both kinder to animals and better for the planet. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-vegan-leather-isnt-sustainable-ecofriendly.html Materials Science Tue, 07 Apr 2026 20:50:02 EDT news694775117