Put An End To Problem Plastic
NOBODY would willingly tuck into a bowlful of plastic. However, over the past few years, scientists have been finding microplastics in some of the most common food and drink items that we ingest.
One study estimates that we could each be consuming as much as five grams of plastic a week.
That’s the equivalent weight of eating a credit card each week!
But what are microplastics, and should we be worried about them?
Microplastic is any type of plastic that is less than five mm in length.
Sometimes these are visible to the human eye, and other times the plastic particles are so small that they cannot be seen.
Microplastics come from a variety of sources. Some microplastics are produced for commercial use, such as for the cosmetics industry.
Whilst microbeads
– small plastic beads that used to be found in toothpaste and facial scrubs – are banned, items like make-up and sunscreen are still permitted to contain microplastic.
When we wash, these bits of plastic make their way into our waterways.
Other microplastics result from the breakdown of larger plastic items that litter seas and rivers.
These include plastic bottles and bags.
Synthetic clothing sheds microplastic when washed, whilst flakes of paint from boats and car tyres are other surprising sources.
The lack of a single source makes it difficult to stop the problem.
Microplastics find their way into our food when they enter our waterways and soil.
The long-term effects of consuming plastic are not fully understood by scientists.
This is partly because it is so difficult to assess the risks microplastics may pose as each plastic is made up of a unique combination of chemicals.
Whether microplastics cause harm or not, it still makes sense to reduce our plastic waste where we can, to help clean up our environment.
Steps that you can take include favouring clothes made from natural textiles, rather than synthetic fibres such as polyester.
Avoiding single-use plastic, where possible, also helps to reduce microplastic pollution. ■