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Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi and formerly known as Nyasaland, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south and southwest. Malawi spans over 118,484 km2 (45,747 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 19,431,566. Malawi's capital and largest city is Lilongwe. Its second-largest is Blantyre, its third-largest is Mzuzu and its fourth-largest is Zomba, the former capital.
Eastman Chemical Company is an American company primarily involved in the chemical industry. Once a subsidiary of Kodak, today it is an independent global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of advanced materials, chemicals and fibers for everyday purposes. Founded in 1920 and based in Kingsport, Tennessee, the company operates 36 manufacturing sites worldwide and employs approximately 14,000 people.
A drinking straw is a utensil that is intended to carry the contents of a beverage to one's mouth. Disposable straws are commonly made from plastics. However, environmental concerns related to plastic pollution and new regulation have led to rise in reusable and biodegradable straws. Following a rise in regulation and public concern, some companies have even voluntarily banned or reduced the number of plastic straws used. Alternative straws are often made of reusable materials like silicone or metal or alternative disposable and biodegradable materials like paper, cardboard, pasta, or bamboo.
Plastic shopping bags, carrier bags, or plastic grocery bags are a type of plastic bag used as shopping bags and made from various kinds of plastic. In use by consumers worldwide since the 1960s, these bags are sometimes called single-use bags, referring to carrying items from a store to a home. However, it is rare for bags to be worn out after single use and in the past some retailers incentivised customers to reuse 'single use' bags by offering loyalty points to those doing so. Even after they are no longer used for shopping, reuse of these bags for storage or trash is common, and modern plastic shopping bags are increasingly recyclable or compostable - at the Co-op for example. In recent decades, numerous countries have introduced legislation restricting the provision of plastic bags, in a bid to reduce littering and plastic pollution.
Plastic recycling is the processing of plastic waste into other products. Recycling can reduce dependence on landfill, conserve resources and protect the environment from plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling rates lag behind those of other recoverable materials, such as aluminium, glass and paper. From the start of plastic production through to 2015, the world produced around 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste, only 9% of which has been recycled and only ~1% has been recycled more than once. Of the remaining waste, 12% was incinerated and 79% was either sent to landfills or lost to the environment as pollution.
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Disposable food packaging comprises disposable products often found in fast-food restaurants, take-out restaurants and catering establishments. Typical products are foam food containers, plates, bowls, cups, utensils, doilies and tray papers. These products can be made from a number of materials including plastics, paper, bioresins, wood and bamboo.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan is a Bangladeshi lawyer and environmentalist. She is currently an adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh and as Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. As an environmentalist, her work is focused on regulations for the shipbreaking industry in Bangladesh, and was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2009. She was also awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2012 for her "uncompromising courage and impassioned leadership in a campaign of judicial activism in Bangladesh that affirms the people's right to a good environment as nothing less than their right to dignity and life."
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be molded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptability, plus a wide range of other properties, such as being lightweight, durable, flexible, and inexpensive to produce, has led to their widespread use. Plastics typically are made through human industrial systems. Most modern plastics are derived from fossil fuel-based chemicals like natural gas or petroleum; however, recent industrial methods use variants made from renewable materials, such as corn or cotton derivatives.
Laila Rashed Iskander Kamel is an Egyptian social entrepreneur and politician. She is formerly Egypt's Minister of State for Environment Affairs in the interim government of Prime Minister Hazem El Beblawi.
Maria Elena Foronda Farro is a Peruvian sociologist and environmentalist. She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2003, for her campaigns of improving waste treatment from the country's fishmeal industry. She was elected as congresswoman for the region of Ancash in 2016 as a member of The Broad Front for Justice, Life, and Freedom.
A plastic bag ban or charge is a law that restricts the use of lightweight plastic bags at retail establishments. In the early 21st century, there has been a global trend towards the phase-out of lightweight plastic bags. Single-use plastic shopping bags, commonly made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic, have traditionally been given for free to customers by stores when purchasing goods: the bags have long been considered a convenient, cheap, and hygienic way of transporting items. Problems associated with plastic bags include use of non-renewable resources, difficulties during disposal, and environmental impacts. Concurrently with the reduction in lightweight plastic bags, shops have introduced reusable shopping bags.
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Wendy Bowman was an Australian farmer and environmentalist in New South Wales who successfully campaigned to prevent Yancoal from developing coal mining in the Hunter Valley. In recognition of her efforts, she was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2017.
Sharon Lavigne is an American environmental justice activist in Louisiana focused on combating petrochemical complexes in Cancer Alley. She is the 2022 recipient of the Laetare Medal, the highest honor for American Catholics, and a 2021 recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize.
In the late 20th and early 21st century, there has been a global movement towards the phase-out of polystyrene foam as a single use plastic (SUP). Early bans of polystyrene foam intended to eliminate ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), formerly a major component.
Southeast African nation of Malawi has a complicated criminal history that is a reflection of its political, economic, and cultural environment. Although crime in Malawi dates back to pre-colonial times, it wasn't until the colonial era that it started to pose a serious threat.
Kristal Ambrose is a Bahamian marine biologist and environmental activist. In 2013, she founded the Bahamas Plastic Movement, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing plastic pollution.
References
- 1 2 3 4 Nimi Princewill (15 June 2021). "Malawi's landscape is clogged with plastic waste that could linger for 100 years. One woman has taken on plastic companies and won". Cable News Network . Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- 1 2 Inès Magoum (25 June 2021). "Malawi: Majiga receives Goldman Prize for her commitment against plastic". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ↑ Canon Collins Trust (July 2021). "Gloria Majiga: Biography". Canon Collins Educational & Legal Assistance Trust. London, United Kingdom. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tim McDonnell (22 June 2021). "How goats helped a Malawian activist win a ban on single-use plastics". Quartz Africa . New York City. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ↑ Julia Simon (23 June 2023). "Goats and Soda: She Owes Her Big Environmental Prize To Goats Eating Plastic Bags". National Public Radio . Washington, D.C., United States. Retrieved 20 September 2023.