- Microplastics the size of a grain of sand are hidden in everyday products like laundry detergent and cosmetics.
- In the EU, 17 million tonnes of these particles are produced every year, many of which find their way into the ocean.
- Could a new plant-based material be the answer?
We all think we know what single-use plastic looks like. People make great efforts to avoid, re-use or recycle it. And now, in addition to the bottles, boxes and bags, there is an ocean of COVID-19 PPE to contend with. This is the problem as we understand it.
Yet amongst the swarms of facemask jellyfish another plastic pollutant floats, not captured by the camera lens.
It is a type of single-use plastic you probably use every day, but never see. As tiny as a grain of fine sand, these hidden microplastics cannot be collected and recycled. But, little by little, they’re adding up to a huge problem.
