Field Notes

The Materials Matters fair starts this week. Pre-register for FREE to secure access When: 15-17 September 2026, between 10am-6pm Where: Unlocked Shoreditch 118 Curtain Road, London, ECZA 3PJ We will be launching our recycled material platform Foose Materials. For the first time outside of Accra you can experience Cassaboard and Tarnty, developed using unsold secondhand textiles sourced from Kantam

The future starts in the classroom. Through Plastic Bank’s school program, students and teachers across the Philippines are building recycling habits that extend from classrooms to homes and communities. Schools also earn incentives from the plastic they collect, helping fund school programs, supplies, and other educational needs. Together, we’re raising the next generation of recycling champions.

The Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE) is a Lagos-based grassroots non-profit accredited by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). […] The post PAVE: Rooting collaboration in local relationships through the MAMRN Project first appeared on GAIA.

Mariam has a 10-hour day. Today, she’ll collect the equivalent of 453 plastic bottles, helping keep plastic out of the environment while earning additional income to help provide for her four children. Across coastal communities, collectors like Mariam turn plastic collection into income opportunities and a future they can build on. 453 bottles. One day. Four children. One determined mother. Help

Makram begins collecting plastic before dawn, while his wife sorts the materials at home. Together, their work helps support their three children and keep their community cleaner. “Since joining Plastic Bank in 2020, the additional incentives have helped support my children’s education and cover unexpected expenses.” Learn how you can fund plastic collection and recycling heroes at: https://plasti

Our collection network pulls in up to 12 tonnes of plastic across the Lamu Archipelago. That's the part of our work that's easiest to picture, community members bringing plastic in for weighing, nets full of bottles, sacks of sorted plastic, our barge crossing the channel weighed down with up to 3 tonnes of plastic at a time.But collecting plastic is only the beginning of the work. Plastic isn't o

By Cyrus Malama, 2026 Africa Zero Waste Academy Participant When I boarded my flight on July 26, 2026, I was more than just a Junior Councillor; I was a young […] The post A Zambian Youth’s Journey to the Africa Zero Waste Academy 2026 first appeared on GAIA.

Open Letter to the Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution A Spanish language version can be found below. Your excellency, Amb. Julio Cordano, The release of the […] The post GAIA Response to the Aid to Negotiations first appeared on GAIA.

Zjili means Heavy. A young mother, a tormented landlady and an ambitious teenage girl find their destinies intertwined by harsh realities, drawing strength from an unlikely sisterhood to spark a revolution. World Premiere at @TIFF September 2026 Directed by Christine Boateng and Hajara Musah Chambas, the film is dedicated to Aisha Adam, a 28 year-old mother who died under a heavy load during the t

Zjili means Heavy. A young mother, a tormented landlady and an ambitious teenage girl find their destinies intertwined by harsh realities, drawing strength from an unlikely sisterhood to spark a revolution. World Premiere at @TIFF September 2026 Directed by Christine Boateng and Hajara Musah Chambas, the film is dedicated to Aisha Adam, a 28 year-old mother who died under a heavy load during the t

What does it take to move towards Compassionate Gold? As part of the Compassionate Gold Project: Benguet and Mountain Province, BAN Toxics is…

All sorts of people walk through our doors – working families, students, pensioners, those looking for help for the very first time because their dollar couldn't stretch any further. "Everyone there was very supportive. It's not just food - you feel really dignified going to the OzHarvest restaurant." — Matthew*, OzHarvest food recipient and Refettorio guest That support only happens because of ou

On August 25, 2026, BAN Toxics’ Policy Development and Research Team and volunteers conducted a waste audit of materials collected from the Meycauayan…

As part of the “Strengthening Health Systems to Reduce Lead Exposure” project, supervision and technical assistance activities are being carried out at prioritized health facilities in Tacna to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and comprehensive care for children under five. Strengthening surveillance and the response capacity of health services is key to…

PRESS RELEASE| 1 September 2026 Environmental Justice Organization BAN Toxics joined the public launching of Network Opposed To Pax Silica (NO to Pax…

Portable XRF Technology Will Give Environmental Authorities in Ethiopia and Ghana Faster, More Reliable Ways to Detect and Assess Toxic Pollution Risks. Detecting lead contamination is often the first step in preventing exposure, yet many low- and middle-income countries still lack the tools needed to identify risks quickly and accurately.…

YPSA, with the support of The Asia Foundation and in collaboration with Daily Purbokone, organized a roundtable discussion on migration governance and accountability on 30 July 2026 at the Daily Purbokone office, Chattogram. The roundtable brought together relevant experts, government representatives, civil society organizations, media representatives, and other stakeholders to discuss key issues

Our round-up of the month’s most important stories. Forever chemicals now banned from EU food packaging The landmark ruling is an important step in protecting public health and the environment from these harmful and unnecessary chemicals; further measures being introduced include bans on certain single-use items and support for reuse and refill. One year

In August 2025, negotiators gathered in Geneva for INC-5.2, the session meant to deliver the world’s first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. After 10 tense days of talks, more than 80 countries rejected the Chair’s final proposed draft as “unacceptable”: it set no limits on plastic production and barely addressed the chemicals of concern

We asked, you answered: biggest red flag 🚩, no hesitation. Plot twist: the real green flag was knowing 'best before' from 'use by' all along. Best-before is a quality guide, not an expiry date. If past the best-before, simply use your senses: Sniff, look or taste! #bestbefore #bestbeforevsusedby #usedby #foodwaste #fightfoodwaste #foodhack

We asked strangers for their first-date red flags... and uncovered a food waste myth. Red flag: binning food over a date you don't actually understand. Green flag: knowing your 'best before' from your 'use by'. Best-before is a quality guide, not an expiry date. If past the best-before, simply use your senses: Sniff, look or taste! #bestbefore #bestbeforevsusedby #usedby #foodwaste #fightfoodwaste

A total of 4,003.2 kg of e-waste was successfully collected during the inaugural Green Schools Challenge: E-Waste to E-Win Recycling Competition 2026, organised by Baiduri Bank. The initiative was introduced to raise awareness among students and the wider school community about the importance of responsible e-waste disposal and recycling. Through the competition, students were encouraged to take a

Only 5% of EU ships' tonnage was dismantled in Europe despite the capacity to recycle much more. Vast majority of end-of-life ships are sent for beaching in... Read More

Meet Our Summer 2026 Interns: This summer, six interns worked alongside our programs, operations, and technical teams at Pure Earth — including three Coalition for Clean Lead fellows who focused on used lead acid battery (ULAB) analysis and ending preventable lead poisoning through supply chain accountability. Learn more about what they worked on below. 1.) Abigail Gilbert (Programs Team) Q: Tell

Fatalities in South Asia expose systemic failures while the EU considers approving beaching yards. MT RASI (IMO 9176008) beached at Ferdous Steel, Chattogram, Bangladesh. March 2026 © Daniel... Read More