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Plastic waste - bottles and bags - in a pile
Image: Maximilian Koch/IMAGO

Recycling

Humans use vast amounts of plastic and produce huge piles of waste. Which raw materials are contained in our trash and how can they be given a new life?

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Fruit packaged in plastic or arranged in cardboard boxes

Shopping showdown — what's greener, plastic or paper?

Shopping showdown — what's greener, plastic or paper?

Paper packaging is more environmentally friendly than plastic, right? But it's not so simple.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 24, 2024
An art installation made with discarded plastic bottles

A Nigerian museum turns waste into art

A Nigerian museum turns waste into art

A museum in Nigeria is attracting visitors with decoration and works of art made from recycled materials.
ArtsApril 22, 202401:36 min
A view of a landfill site filled with old tires

How India is making new roads from recycled old tires

How India is making new roads from recycled old tires

As the world's third-largest car market, India has a growing problem with tire waste. But some firms also recycle them.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 22, 202406:12 min
A landfill in front of smokestacks

How European trash illegally ends up in Southeast Asia

How European trash illegally ends up in Southeast Asia

The illegal waste trade from Europe to Southeast Asia has emerged as a highly profitable, low-risk criminal enterprise.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 17, 2024
A woman throws collected empty plastic bottles onto a garbage collection point containing many more empty plastic bottles in Uganda, Africa.

Turning trash into cash in Uganda

Turning trash into cash in Uganda

In Uganda, refugees are using a mobile app to collect plastic waste and earn a living.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 16, 202405:47 min
A pair of glasses with a black frame against a yellow background beside contact lense kit on a pink background

Eyeing sustainability: Contact lenses vs. glasses

Eyeing sustainability: Contact lenses vs. glasses

Is all the waste associated with contact lenses better than the environmental impact of manufacturing glasses?
Nature and EnvironmentApril 12, 2024
Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

People sort through mountains of largely plastic waste in a city dump

Nigeria joins global efforts to curb plastic waste

The number of countries banning plastic bags is growing, but enforcement is still an issue, especially in Africa.
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 13, 2024
Large amounts of plastic waste pollute a canal in Lagos, Nigeria.

Nigeria: Lagos residents decry ban on single-use plastics

Lagos, Nigeria's biggest city, has banned single-use plastics — a move not welcomed by everyone.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 15, 202402:31 min
The front porch of a house with a sloping, curved roof

Inside a recyclable 3D-printed tiny home

Could a 3D-printed house made with recyclable material be a game changer for the climate and the US housing crisis?
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 31, 2024
Screengrabs of videos on social media

Fact check: These earthquake videos from Japan are recycled

Out-of-context videos are circulating on social media following this week's major earthquake in Japan.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 3, 2024
A ragpicker walks through a sewage canal filled with garbage in Rawalpindi

How the Afghan exodus is spoiling Pakistan's environment

The deportation of Afghan refugees is taking a massive toll on Pakistan's recycling and plastics industry.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 27, 2023
A worker sorting electronic equipment in Seelampur, New Delhi

Workers recycling India's e-waste underpaid, unprotected

Seelampur is the largest electronic waste dismantling market in India. The industry is largely unregulated.
BusinessDecember 6, 202302:07 min