McDonald’s may no longer provide disposable cups to customers eating or drinking on its premises. This is the result of an enforcement request submitted by Fair Resource Foundation to the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT), the Dutch government agency responsible for enforcing environmental legislation. The inspectorate found that the fast-food chain had been violating the rules for years — and was even charging customers extra for the disposable cups it should not have been providing in the first place.

Three government officials, three interventions, one result: the regulator responsible for the deposit return system is repeatedly given less scope to take action against beverage producers that fail to meet their statutory collection target. This is according to an investigation by NOS based on documents obtained under the Dutch Open Government Act (Wet open overheid, Woo), which gives citizens and journalists the right to access government documents.

Plastic blood bags release microplastics into blood during storage. The longer the blood is stored, the more microplastics are released. Heat and movement also increase their release. This is according to new research on PVC blood bags, published in the scientific journal Environment & Health.