The European Union is proposing a ban on many single-use plastics, with a goal to clean up the litter found on Europe’s beaches and seas.

There isn't a single person in the plastics industry who hasn't been regularly bombarded with concerns from all sides about the environmental costs of plastic production and use. But a new study takes some of the sting out, finding the environmental cost of using plastics in consumer goods and packaging is nearly four times less than replacing plastics with alternative materials.

Architects want a better relationship with each part of the building and construction supply chain, especially as lean practices move heavily into the commercial construction industry.