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Does the news media exacerbate or reduce misinformation problems? Although some news media deliberately try to counter misinformation, it has been suggested that they might also inadvertently, and sometimes purposefully, amplify it. We conducted a two-wave panel survey in Brazil, India, and the UK (N = 4732) to investigate the effect of news and digital platform use on awareness of and belief in COVID-19 misinformation over time (January to February 2022). We find little support for the idea that the news exacerbates misinformation problems. News use broadened people's awareness of false claims but did not increase belief in false claims—in some cases, news use actually weakened false belief acquisition, depending on access mode (online or offline) and outlet type. In line with previous research, we also find that news use strengthens political knowledge gain over time, again depending on outlets used. The effect of digital platforms was inconsistent across countries, and in most cases not significant—though some, like Twitter, were associated with positive outcomes while others were associated with negative outcomes. Overall, our findings challenge the notion that news media, by reporting on false and misleading claims, ultimately leave the public more misinformed, and support the idea that news helps people become more informed and, in some cases, more resilient to misinformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• So-called biodegradable plastics and greenwashing are issues of environmental concern. • Cases of false claims of biodegradability in plastic products are becoming frequent. • Appropriate labeling rules for biodegradable products should be implemented. Plastic pollution is a global environmental concern and several approaches have been implemented seeking to reduce and control releases of plastic waste, especially in marine environments. Recently, disclosure of data on occurrence of single-use plastic straws among the litter collected in beach cleaning campaigns unleashed a worldwide movement that resulted on banning of these items in several countries. The market then quickly began to offer sustainable solutions as the professed biodegradable plastic straws. However, cases of greenwashing added to current limitations related to the technical standards used to attest biodegradability of commercial plastic products may lead these measures to be largely ineffective. Herein, a case study assessing the composition of plastic straws marketed in Brazil and United States under false claims of biodegradability was used as background for discussion of this neglected issue, which goes far beyond plastics straws. Thus, although some local regulations have already banned single-use plastic products, additional actions in regional and global scales should be implemented, especially concerning proper labeling of the alleged biodegradable products. Therefore, from a multi-dimensional perspective and considering the resistance of the powerful plastic industry, multiple management strategies focused on educating people – in the matters of deciding purchases based on correct labeling and properly discarding the waste –, are possibly our best chance to drive a positive global environmental change. Additionally, we also suggest the inclusion of this relevant subject among the tasks proposed by the Basel Convention Partnership on Plastic Waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]