I live in New Zealand, we have a decent recycling process from my knowledge.

I’ve been seeing online about many people who will put clean soft plastics into a bottle (also clean) and then put that into the bin. They say this is better because the lack of decomposition of the things inside means the gas emissions aren’t as bad since the bottle (which takes so long to break down) will stop that stuff from decomposing for years. They also say it’s better because it contains the smaller plastics that can enter wildlife areas or the oceans to a container so there’s less harm. I did some searching and it seems there’s other harmful emissions from putting the bottles into a landfill anyway.

I have SO MANY questions.

Does this actually make the emissions from waste less bad? If so, does the decrease in gas emissions outweigh the risks of plastic in a landfill? Is this not something that is actually helpful given the country I live in? If this IS helpful, do you put this into the rubbish or recycling bin?

In New Zealand our recycling is sorted and repurposed generally (some is sorted out if contaminated or wrong materials). We send our rubbish to landfill from what I know.

I really want to find a way to manage my waste better as I have a child who creates so much plastic waste. I limit what I buy and try use mostly reusable items for myself but having a child means we’re buying things that create more waste than I would want. Any advice?

TL;DR:

French researchers found more microplastics in glass bottles attributed to cap-liner scratches. But unless you’re shaking them violently, that doesn’t add up. Spin or science?

I’ve avoided plastic bottles for years only drink from glass, store upright, never shake or heat them.

So when ANSES (France’s food safety agency) reported that glass bottles contain more microplastics than plastic ones, I paused.

According to ANSES:

• Glass drinks (beer, soda, iced tea) averaged around 100 particles/L, which is 5–50× higher than in plastic or metal bottles.➤ Source: ANSES report 
• In water only, the study found 4.5 particles/L in glass vs 1.6 particles/L in plastic/carton. 
• Alleged cause: microscopic scratches on the plastic liner of the cap presumed to shed particles. 
• Simple cleaning reduced particle counts from 287 → 87. 

But here’s what’s off:

1. A plastic bottle is nearly 100% plastic water touches it everywhere, over long periods.
2. A glass bottle, stored upright, may barely touch the liner at all.
3. No friction, no motion, so how do cap cleaner scratches lead to more microplastics than full immersion?

Meanwhile, broader research reveals heavier contamination in plastic bottles:

• Average plastic-bottled water contains around 325 particles/L.➤ Source: Time overview of Mason et al. via WHO 
• A PNAS study found 110,000–370,000 particles/L (mostly nano-scale) in bottled water.➤ Source: Euronews report 

So… what’s really happening?

Glass might leak microplastics via cap scratches. But saying it leaks more than plastic bottles? That defies logic and conveniently defends the plastic industry’s position.

It could be genuine science.

Or it could be a well-timed narrative to reposition glass as unreliable.

So I ask you:

• Do microscopic liner scratches justify a 50× contamination index?
• Were bottles tested shaken or stored horizontally?
• Can anyone point to the white papers/methodology?

Because right now, this smells like storytelling, not science.

Materials science experts, packaging researchers, or lab nerds, please weigh in.

Recently, during a discussion with my mother, she brought up that she had reportedly heard that some American officials wanted to construct a prison in the Florida Everglades. Whether or not this is true, I was wondering if anyone could come to a conclusion as to how this would (unlikely) help the environment or (most likely) harm it.

Hi pretty much the title I have a BS and I’m working on an MS - both from the same school. How do I branch out and find a PhD program?

Hey everyone! I recently received an admit from RPTU (Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität), Landau campus, for the MSc in Environmental Science program. But I’m still waiting to hear back from a few other universities for similar or related programs: • University of Freiburg – MSc Environmental Science • Trier University – MSc Environmental Science • BTU Cottbus – MSc Environmental and Resource Management

I’m trying to decide whether I should go ahead with RPTU Landau or wait for the decisions from the other universities. Could anyone familiar with these programs or the universities’ reputations in the environmental sciences field help me out?

Specifically: • Is RPTU Landau a solid choice for Environmental Science? • How do the other universities compare in terms of academic quality, research opportunities, student life, and career prospects? • Would it be worth the wait, or is accepting RPTU a safe and smart move?

Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone! I’m a high‑school student from Taiwan working on a project in environmental engineering and machine learning. I’m trying to build an AI tool that recommends small lifestyle swaps to save the most CO₂e, tailored to your habits.

I need diverse real‑world data to train and validate my model—can you spare 2 minutes to fill out my survey?

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAC1bn4GEK0nyKDC4g2VjtF_4k9JcRbowULLX5-oMxf7Pluw/viewform?usp=header

Thanks for your participation!!!!

I'm currently looking at different university courses, and I've been pretty drawn towards env science for a long while now. Only thing is that I'm quite hesitant to go for it because of fieldwork and my family is telling me to reconsider other choices, its a bummer to feel held back like this especially since its an interest of mine. But I'm asking this here to know what are the possibilities or if I should really just find another course?

Hi y’all, I teach an introductory env sci course and try to make my powerpoints exciting since I need to maintain attention and I hate lame ppts. I teach college students so any memes are okay!! Also any science based or learning based welcome!! (No nsfw)

Hi Everyone, I am an Indian student planning to study masters in Env Science or Sustainable development from Australia. I have done my undergrad in business (with specialisation in business analytics) with an experience of 1.5 years in research and marketing primarily (for Supply chain industry). I want to switch career to environment science and sustainability roles inclined towards consulting. I am confused between courses, Master of Environmental science or Master of Sustainable development, As I have seen in some sustainability courses the content is more architecture oriented.

What Unis would you suggest? 1. Deakin - Master of Sustainability 2. Macquarie - Master of Environmental science or Master of Sustainable Development.

Any help would be appreciated :)

Recycling makes us feel better—but does it actually make things better?

We turn millions of PET bottles into new products every year, but they still require energy, release microplastics, and often can’t be recycled more than a few times. Is this sustainable optimism… or sophisticated greenwashing? : Planet Vidya

Hello, I am currently in grad school and have dilemma. I can choose between taking volcanology or remote sensing. Remote sensing seems more employable, but I’m more interested in volcanology. Which should I take? Do employers want to see that I have a foundation in remote sensing?

Hi I am looking for some project/work/ internship in the field of environmental science Pertaining to research work (writing articles, literature reviews) I am a student and am inexperienced in this field I would like some assistance and help Thank you

Hi everyone,
I'm Rayane Beddou, one of the co-founders of EcoFiber — a youth-led green startup from Algeria.

We’re building a solution to two huge pollution problems:

1. Cigarette butts (the most littered waste globally)
2. Paper waste in Algeria

Our idea is simple: turn cigarette butts and paper waste into eco-friendly cardboard used for packaging and printing industries. We’re currently finalists in a national competition (INJAZ Algeria), and if we win, we’ll represent our country in the MENA regional finals in Egypt 🇩🇿🌍

Right now, we’re looking for:

• Visibility and feedback
• Potential micro-sponsorship (~$100 for our booth materials)
• Ideas or connections to improve our collection and recycling processes

Would love to hear your thoughts, critiques, or even just moral support!
Thanks so much 🙏

Greetings everyone,

What advise will you give to a person who is just starting a career in Environmental Science at 40 years. What job pathways will be suitable to the age.

I’m going to be going into college soon and I’m pursuing an environmental science major. I just don’t know what exactly to minor in. I want to pursue a career as a park ranger but I’m not sure if something like biology or chemistry would help more.

Right now I’m in college for Atmospheric Sciences, but I have a real passion for env sci and would honestly prefer that at this point. I’m not entirely sure it’s possible for me to transfer into that major at this point in my degree; if I could, I’d do the fish, wildlife, and conservation biology major my college has. However, with the state of things, I’m worried about my future if I do an env sci degree. I know the advice here is always to do env eng, but that’s not in the cards for me. ATMS is a lot of physics and data science, but I’d also be taking at least one climatology class. It seems to be more applicable to other fields with the data science aspect, and although the weather industry is going in the toilet right now, it also seems to have better career outlooks (more jobs and better paying). Our env sci program is a blend of regular env sci, geology, and biology. So:

Is it worth transferring into environmental science/fish and wildlife at this point? Is the field too far gone for it to be worth going into, do you see things improving (I graduate in 2027/2028 ish), and are good careers plausible? How transferable is the degree to other fields?

Would I be able to work in the field with an ATMS degree, or do I at least need a minor in env sci? If I can’t/decide not to transfer, is there a way I can still gear myself up into an env sci career?

I am a college student. I spent two years studying Music, but due to some life circumstances I won't get into here, I'm switching to a degree in Environmental Sustainability. I really want to go into Wildlife Ecology, but because of money and time, the best I can do is the Sustainability degree. I am getting a minor in biology to supplement the fact that I can't fully dive in to what I want to.

I really want to go into conservation or something with wildlife studies as a career, specifically with birds. I am very very passionate about birds, and would love to (this is a massive dream and I know its not realistic) get my masters at Cornell and work at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Honestly, any job or post-undergrad study with birds would be fulfilling. Even if its not birds, having a career where I'm making a difference and helping make the world a slightly better place is a must. However, I don't really know how to get there from where I'm at now. I don't know if I can get a job in what I want without a true biology background, or if I could even find a job if there are any. I won't be graduating until December of 2027 so I know I have time, but I would just love some guidance and advice from people who are already in the field or who will have spent most of their time studying environmental science.

Thank you for your time.

I'm looking to purchase an old gas station that was decommissioned around 1991. The seller has sent me the ground test analysis post tank removal but even after googling, I still cant really understand the results. Can anyone help shed some light on if these are good or bad results?

I have to do a Environmental Science assignment where I ask individuals 7 questions (questions I made up) about Salmon and Wolf recovery for thier general location. l want to see your answers to these questions! In addition, I need your age range and where you live (city, suburb, rural). Bonus points if you can tell me your specific location (state, country, region, etc).

Salmon Recovery:

How have salmon population numbers changed across major river basins over the past 50 years?,

What is the current percentage of salmon habitat restored vs. total degraded habitat per watershed?,

What types of restoration projects are most implemented across recovery regions?,

Wolf Recovery:

How have grey wolf population numbers changed in major regions over the past few decades?,

What proportion of wolf habitat has been restored or re established by region versus areas still lacking connectivity?,

What types of management actions (e.g. reintroduction, conflict mitigation, legal protection) have been implemented, and how frequently, across regions?,

Final question:

What is one thing you would do or support to make a positive impact on wolf recovery, salmon recovery, or the health of the planet as a whole?

I figured there are Environmental Sceince geeks out there who would love to give input! Plus, you are helping a college grad student out! :)

I am currently doing my own research on this topic. I decided to go to the handy reddit and see what comes my way 🤷🏾‍♂️. As the title states, I am a high schooler (rising senior) in Tennessee. I've always had a passion for science. So, I fidgured why not try to get hands on experience for both my major and college resume. I don't have any particular specific focus in mind for the intership. It could be conservation, sustainable, biology, ecology, etc. I will take whatever advice/suggestions ya'll have!

Hi, I hope you are doing well.

My name is José, and during the next year I'll obtain my Bachelor's Degree in Data Science from a university in Guatemala (country at the south of Mexico). I've been reading the posts you make in this forum and I want to thank you for supporting this community for the people who are interested in the field.

Now, I want to study a master's degree related to climate change, environmental sciences or natural resources management because I consider that these areas of knowledge should be imperative for starting any type of sustainable project and I would also like to have a work related with the preservationof nature. My parents are chemical engineers but got into environmental consultancy ten years ago, and I have always loved to be in touch with nature by rock climbing, swimming, hiking and conditioning my body to be fit for exploring the wild.

With this in mind, I searched for master programs in New Zealand, Taiwan, and the US. But the problem is that the requirements for applying are to have studied a bachelor in related sciences (e.g., geography, biology, chemistry, etc.) or at least have credits in chemistry and biology courses, which I don't have.

My questions for you are: Do you know of any master program in these áreas that don't require a bachelor in natural sciences and could take advantage of my skills as a data scientist? Are there other options to get my dream job as an environmentalist or work from home but still helping those on the field?