Dubrovnik to abolish single-use plastics by 2030
The City of Dubrovnik has committed itself to reducing its environmental footprint by eliminating single-use plastics as well as preventing the influx of plastic into nature by 2030. In the next two years alone, the city plans to reduce plastic pollution by 30%. About 400,000 tons of plastic waste is generated in Croatia every year, […]
Green for Growth Fund helps kids from Serbia compete in Canada
After Balkan Green Energy News appealed in early April for financial assistance to help kids from Serbia travel to Canada, its partner, the Green for Growth Fund (GGF), helped make this possible. The nine elementary and high school students from Belgrade had already made remarkable success in a global essay competition on achieving UN Sustainable […]
Plastic Odyssey: World’s first plastic-to-fuel vessel to set sail in 2020
On his voyages as a merchant navy officer, Simon Bernard saw the extent of plastic pollution poisoning oceans, ecosystems, and mankind. The visionary is now launching Plastic Odyssey, a three-year expedition on the world’s first vessel to be fueled by plastic waste. “The mission’s ultimate goal is a world without plastic,” Simon said in an […]
Seven great ideas for plastic-free holidays
We’ve all been there. Slumped on the sofa, regretting those extra chocolates, feeling slightly sick and very full. But hey, we’ve worked hard all year and we deserve our festive overindulgence, don’t we? By mid of January, we’ll be back in the gym, back on the diet, back on the straight-and-narrow. No harm done. But […]
Effa creates eco-friendly disposable toothbrush to help beat plastic pollution
Now that a number of global coffee shop and restaurant chains have pledged a phase-out of plastic straws, the fight against plastic pollution turns to the next big problem item – the ubiquitous toothbrush. This is where Ukraine’s Effa steps in. The finalist of this year’s clim@ competition for startups organized by the Green for […]
From Seattle to Tirana, global fight against plastic pollution gathers steam
From individual initiatives to cities and corporations banning plastic straws, the global anti-plastic movement is gaining momentum. It was three years ago that Christine Figgener, marine biologist at Texas A&M University, posted a graphic video of a sea turtle in distress as her team extracted a plastic straw stuck in its nose. Little did she […]
EC adopts Europe-wide strategy to fight plastic pollution
As a part of the transition towards a more circular economy, the European Commission (EC) adopted the first-ever Europe-wide strategy on plastics. According to the statement of the EC, this strategy will protect the environment from plastic pollution whilst fostering growth and innovation, turning a challenge into a positive agenda for the Future of Europe. […]