News & Politics
A new study finds that plastic pollution is not just a problem for the world’s oceans. It’s everywhere – including in the air , where tiny fragments known as microplastics can be carried by wind and rain to places as remote as national parks and wilderness areas. The study, published earlier this month in the journal, Science , says more than 1,000 tons of it per year are landing in protected areas of the Western United States. It’s also possible that some of the microplastics come from visitors to those areas, whose outdoor clothing and camping gear may be part of the problem. Outdoor retailers, including Kent-based Recreational Equipment Inc., are working to address the issue. The popular co-op has been funding research on microfibers that include microplastics since 2017. Sustainability manager Greg Gausewitz says it’s a quickly emerging topic that REI wants to understand. “And minimize any contribution to it and then help find solutions for the broader industry,” Gausewitz said. He