Research Blog & Commentary

When Plastic Pollution Starts at the Factory

Most people picture plastic pollution as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or bottles and bags washed up on beaches, but sometimes the problem begins long before consumer use, at the point of manufacture. A recently announced settlement in Beaver County, Pennsylvania holds Styropek, the largest manufacturer of styrofoam in North America, accountable for styrofoam entering Raccoon Creek in western Pennsylvania.