- A Mexican researcher has invented a new form of biodegradable plastic made primarily from the juice of prickly pear cactus (opuntia).
- The pulp of the prickly pear is mixed with non-toxic additives to produce sheets that can be used for packaging.
- In March 2019, UN member states at the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi, Kenya, pledged to significantly reduce single-use plastic products by 2030.
- Single-use plastics, or disposable plastics, are the ones which are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. Example: plastic straws, plastic bottles, plastic cutlery etc.
