Seven ways you’re creating microplastic pollution (and poisoning yourself in the process)

A lot of microplastic pollution goes under the radar. It is closer to us and more pervasive than we realise. Microplastics might not be such a bad thing in some products if they stayed where they were supposed to, but the problem is they don’t. With wear and tear, many ‘stealth’ microplastics used in manufacturing other larger items are released into our environment — including our oceans and our air. They are entering our bodies via the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. And they are present in their millions.

By now most people have heard of microplastics. These are plastic particles <5mm in size that may either be made that size e.g. microbeads, or may be fragments of larger pieces. Most of us are probably also aware they’re entering our food chain. But maybe what most people don’t know is that they are creating and exposing themselves to microplastic pollution every day.

Last year a European study found microplastics in human poo samples, from people who live pretty much the same lifestyle as you or me. But is this surprising given the amount of plastic we are using? While we’ve started seeing bans on some single-use plastics, the fact is plastic bags, straws and coffee cups are just the tip of the iceberg. Actually, they’re just the tip of the…