The United Kingdom uses 5 million metric tons of plastic every year, and only about a third of that ends up being recycled. In a bid to find out just how widespread plastic pollution is, British campaigner Laura Sanderson has decided to test the waters — quite literally — in the UK's wildest rivers.

Trapping wild birds is illegal in most countries of the European Union. But some countries – like Italy and France – still allow it as a hobby and for food. In Malta, hunting birds is a tradition that many men don’t want to give up. The government there is now proposing that traditional trappers become citizen scientists. But there are doubts that this will work.

In Johannesburg, South Africa, the wind blows particles of radioactive uranium across the population. Johannesburg is considered to be one of the most radioactive cities in the world. Due to its history as a gold mining region, uranium is in the air there. That's impacting people’s health — and many say not enough is being done about it.

Microplastics are not just in our waters — they are also in our air. And one of the largest sources for this is tires. As vehicles drive on roads, that releases tiny plastic particles into our air, which we can then breathe in. Turns out that's a pretty serious health risk. But a startup called the Tyre Collective has a new invention that it believes will help with the microplastics problem.

Air pollution kills more than 7 million people worldwide every year. And right at the top of the list of places with unhealthy air is Delhi, also known as "the smog capital of the world." Gigantic smog-sucking towers that clean the air are now being hailed as a new solution. But they are far from a fix-all.

It's not hard to accumulate stuff: Too many books, too many clothes, too many plates, cups, pairs of socks ... the list goes on. But it is hard to get rid of it. As DW reporter Tamsin Walker and her family found out, shedding the unnecessary does have certain benefits — both personal and planetary.

If environmental costs were part of the price tag, food in Germany would be much more expensive. Researchers have now calculated just how much more. One discount supermarket in Berlin is testing the waters by showing its customers what it truly costs to make their food, with surprising results. Anne-Sophie Brändlin went there to find out more.

It's no secret that drug trafficking and cartel wars cost human lives, but what isn't often talked about is their environmental cost. In an interview, DW reporter Tim Schauenberg explains how drugs are hurting our planet.

In western Kenya, there's water, water everywhere — yet not a drop to drink. Climate change-driven floods have displaced tens of thousands of people, ironically leading to water scarcity. No class or sector is immune, and experts are now scrambling in search of a solution.

Women in rural Kenya are disproportionally affected by climate change as they struggle to find food for their families. Nongovernmental group the BOMA Project offers grants to the most vulnerable in society, allowing women to generate their own income to mitigate climate impacts like drought. DW spoke with program director Sam Owilly — and a couple women also speak for themselves.