What Are Microplastics?
Plastic garbage comes in all different shapes and sizes, but when it’s less than five millimeters in length, it’s called a microplastic. Microplastics have been found in everything from whales and sea turtles to birds and land animals. It’s also in our food, drinking water, the air we breathe, and our bodies.
Microplastics come from a variety of sources, including from larger plastic garbage that degrades into smaller and smaller pieces. Microbeads are another type of microplastic. These are very tiny pieces of manufactured polyethylene plastic that are added as exfoliants to health and beauty products. These particles easily pass through water filtration systems and end up in the ocean and lakes, posing a threat to aquatic life.
The Impact
If ingested, microplastics can block the gastrointestinal tracts of animals, or trick the organism who ingested them into thinking they don't need to eat which can lead to starvation.
They aren’t just a problem for marine life and other creatures — they also harm humans as well. An article from the Washington Post explored the effects of microplastics suggested that ingesting microplastics could further expose us to harmful chemicals found in some plastics. These chemicals have been associated with reproductive health problems, obesity risks, organ problems, and even developmental issues in young children.
A Credit Card A Week
The average person may be eating and drinking totals of about 2,000 tiny pieces of plastic each week, a study suggests, which is an amount equal to the weight of one credit card. Most of the pieces of plastic we ingest come from drinking water, but it's also in seafood, salt, and even... beer.
Take Action
To reduce the amount of microplastic we consume, we have to reduce our use of plastic in general. Here are some steps you can take to reduce the microplastic problem.
Use less single-use plastic whenever possible.
Choose products that come with less plastic packaging and urge companies to make the switch to plastic-free packaging (SeaHive can help).
Take part in a beach cleanup in your area.
Wash all synthetic clothing in something like a Guppyfriend Washing Bag or use a Cora Microfiber Laundry Ball to protect the fabric from shedding microplastics into the water.
Use natural material such as ground coconut shell or laundry detergent strips for your laundry as many detergents have microplastics such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP) that end up in our water.
Avoid PET or PVC glitter and choose biodegradable glitter.
Types of external house paint can contain plastics. Dust from this type of paint is found across the surface of the oceans. Look for paints that use latex or linseed oil as binders.
Consider taking the Plastic Free July challenge, which provides resources and ideas to help you (and millions of others around the world) reduce single-use plastic waste everyday at home, work, school, and even at your local café.