Nigeria: Drowning in plastics

Nina Gomes is no average environmentalist. With bright pink goggles and just 4 years old, she picks trash with her father from the water along the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. With Nina in tow, Gomes sets out on a paddleboard into the picturesque but polluted waters of Rio's Guanabara Bay, where she grabs plastic bottles and bags and puts them in a mesh net.

With greenhouses as far as the eye can see, the southern Spanish region of Andalusia has been nicknamed the "Sea of Plastic". Intensive farming is the norm and it helps feed the European market with fruit and vegetables all year long. It also produces an estimated 33,000 tonnes of plastic waste every year. Until two years ago, this waste was exported to countries such as China, Pakistan and Turkey. But now that these countries are refusing to take rubbish from rich countries, the "Sea of Plastic" is faced with the urgent challenge of recycling its own waste. Our correspondents report.

Tetiꞌaroa, an almost deserted Pacific island northeast of Tahiti, is a sanctuary for birds, sea turtles and all sorts of marine life. The atoll is perhaps most famous for being bought by US actor Marlon Brando. But this picturesque French Polynesian island is being invaded by plastic waste washed ashore by ocean tides. As a result, a team of volunteers have been to Tetiꞌaroa for a clean-up operation. Our colleagues from Polynésie la première report, with FRANCE 24's Jennie Shin.

The Dominican Republic markets itself as a tropical vacation paradise. But behind the scenes lie heaps of trash from mass tourism. People like Eddy Rosado and the UN environment program are trying to shrink the Caribbean nation's garbage dumps.

People are still talking about Ghana's unique bus shelter made of plastic waste. It has been billed as a novel and sustainable way to put discarded plastic to use and fight pollution.

It is a common sight in Addis Ababa these days to see men, women and even children moving around the city with huge bags of plastic waste. Their hauls mostly contain plastic bottles, but any plastic waste they come across will fetch cash according to its weight.

A waste recycling initiative in Kenya has permanently changed the Dandora neighborhood, an informal settlement in Nairobi known for its large, unregulated landfills. Several kiosks have been set up where residents can swap recyclable garbage for food. The project has helped clean up the streets in Dandora.

Major companies are falling short on their commitments to recycle and reduce plastic, a fossil fuel byproduct, even as Coca-Cola sponsors this year's climate conference.

2022 was a difficult year in many ways, but that didn't stop the biggest luxury labels securing impressive profits or coming up with exciting new collaborations, such as one between Jean Paul Gaultier and Olivier Rousteing. This past year was marked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a lack of raw materials and increased awareness of just how polluting the fashion industry is.

Spent nuclear fuel can be recycled to make new fuel and byproducts. More than 90% of its potential energy still remains in the fuel, even after five years of operation in a reactor. The United States does not currently recycle spent nuclear fuel but foreign countries, such as France, do.

An engineering student says he can turn plastic into petrol in Ghana's Wa town. It's a plan he hopes can solve Ghana's plastic waste menace.

It could almost be the scene of a picture postcard: old boats dotted around the French coastline, moving with the tide. But their environmental impact is a lot less charming. Most boats are made of fibreglass, plastics and resins, making them difficult to recycle. But is there another way? Can sustainable boating set sail? We take a closer look in this edition of Down to Earth.