[HIGHTECHDUDE]

The Burigunga River or as locals call it "Trash River" runs beside Dhaka. Portions of it still have water but several miles adjacent to the world's clothing factories are now filled mostly with plastic waste...

Time to give some waders and a shovel to Greta Thunberg.

[kellyhound]

Just read this last week:

Plastic waste contributors
Thanks to a global citizen science initiative, researchers have meticulously tracked the sources of plastic waste. This project harnessed the power of public participation, with volunteers in 84 countries conducting over 1,500 “brand audits” between 2018 and 2022.

The dedicated individuals collected over 1.8 million pieces of plastic pollution, meticulously documenting the brands of each item. This unprecedented data set offered a unique window into the corporate origins of plastic pollution, allowing researchers to link specific waste items back to their source producers.

Major polluters from plastic waste contributors
The study’s findings were staggering, illustrating a disturbing concentration of power within the plastic waste crisis. A mere handful of major companies shoulder responsibility for a massive portion of the world’s plastic waste.

The Coca-Cola Company leads with a staggering 11 percent of identified branded plastic pollution, closely followed by PepsiCo at 5 percent. Nestlé, Danone, and Altria also bear significant responsibility, contributing 2-3 percent each.

Astonishingly, only five corporations generated almost a quarter (24%) of the branded plastic pollution detected globally. The lack of labeling on much of the remaining trash suggests that the true impact of these corporate giants is likely even larger.

Single-use packaging
“The companies above the trend line were typically food and beverage companies, while the companies below the trend line were mostly household and retail companies,” noted the study authors, led by Dr. Win Cowger.

[FuManBoobs]

Looks a local beauty spot after a weekend night during a school holiday.

[Mr.NoCredit]

What would be cool is if Coca-Cola would step up and drop a billion or more dollars into Earth cleanup.

Not likely though as it would leave some CEO a few less million for golfing in foreign countries.

[houseoftechno]

Fast food packaging that people toss out of their car windows is the #1 litter source that I see on land and water. I would love to see a fast food industry upheaval banning single use packaging and all condiments. Drop burgers onto customer-provided plates from stainless steel chutes. Want a coke? Put your cup under the dispenser. Want napkins and forks? Bring your own, but really, most of the animals don't use napkins and forks anyway.

[houseoftechno]

Nice parting shot.