According to researchers, the improved enzyme breaks down 90 per cent of plastic bottles for recycling within a span of 10 hours.

Heavy rains across the region led to thousands of plastic pellets flowing into the Audley Channel on Annacis Island, spilling over onto the banks.

The move is expected to keep 225 million plastic bags out of circulation each year.

The pellets, known as "nurdles" are made from plastic polymers and used in the production of items like single-use plastic bags and water bottles.

A Canadian company believes the technology it helped fund will lead to cleaner oceans and reduce the amount of waste that gets dumped into them.

It's one of several ideas environmental groups pitched on Saturday in a bid to cut down on marine plastic pollution.

One toy retailer, Walmart, responded to the little girl's letter late Tuesday.

Local members of Parliament announced the new $8.3-million Sustainable Fisheries Solutions and Retrieval Contribution Support Program in Dartmouth on Tuesday.

Cigarette butts are among the most common forms of human-made pollution in the world's waterways.

"The carpet itself illustrates we aren't doing enough to prevent plastic pollution from getting into our waterways and contaminating our beaches."