When people picture the environmental toll of the war in Ukraine, they usually think of scorched fields, contamination, or leaking fuel depots. But a newer form of plastic pollution is spreading across the frontline, carried in on the back of the war's most iconic weapon: the drone. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces increasingly rely on fibre-optic-guided drones, which trail a physical cable back to the operator of up to 41 kilometres instead of using radio. This makes them m

Despite heavy sanctions, Russia’s war machine is still fuelled by the revenues from their oil and gas, which are the raw materials required to manufacture plastic products. While countries like the UK are no longer direct consumers, loopholes continue to allow products made from Russian oil to infiltrate the global market. Despite a drop in exports to Europe, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found that in 2024, total export revenues fell by only 5 perce

98% of plastic is made from natural organic materials like oil and gas. Ranking in the top three global producers of oil and natural gas. In the context of Russia’s war on Ukraine, purchasing Russian hydrocarbons to make products like plastic is inextricably linked to the funding of the Russian war economy. The question then is whether our current international regulations are effective at responding to this dual problem? Before the war, Russia’s hydrocarbon industry accounte

In response to recent attacks by the US-Israel alliance, Iran restricted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Before the war, around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas passed through this route. This shipping restriction disrupted energy supply chains and led to a big increase in global oil prices. So what’s the connection with plastic? Oil and gas aren’t only burnt as fuel for energy. They are used to make petrochemicals, which are manufactured into a wide range