Effluent-laden water seeping from an oil waste storage pool in Dayuma, Ecuador.
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An “Everest” of waste
On the occasion of World clean-up Day, here’s a small overview in pictures of fundamental and innovative research on a subject that affects us all.
Waste is everywhere and comes in all forms: in our streets, forests, sewers, and especially, in our oceans and along the coastlines. More than ten million tonnes of plastic waste are discharged into the oceans every year, forming a floating “seventh continent” and destroying marine organisms before ending up on our plates. In fact, the quantity of waste (plastic, but also organic, industrial, electronic, textiles, etc.) that we discharge into the environment each year is literally immeasurable.
Scientists are therefore scouring the earth, the oceans, and even the air to measure, capture and eliminate as much as possible of this waste which is ruining our lives and that of our planet. And some of them are going beyond fundamental research, creating start-ups which are developing ground-breaking methods to clear up and often even reuse this waste.
The World Clean-up Day is now on Friday 20 September following its addition to the UN Calendar of International Days! On this occasion, we have picked some reports for you that take a close look at the scientists who are studying this issue from all angles, and who are trying to solve it in often very surprising ways.
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