Our Plastic Diet

Our Plastic Diet

The Scary Truth About Microplastics: We Eat a Credit Card a Week!

What Are Microplastics?

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic, less than 5 millimeters in size. These extremely small particles are everywhere in our environment:

• They don’t disappear; they just get smaller.

• They can be found at the bottom of waterways.

• They float in the air around us.

Shockingly, they can even be found inside our bodies.

The Scale of the Problem

New studies have revealed the staggering scale of our consumption of microplastics:

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), we consume around 100,000 microplastic particles a year.

This equates to around 5 grams of plastic every week, which is the equivalent of eating a credit card!

In a month, we consume around 21 grams of plastic – the weight of a clothes hanger.

A study published in Environmental Science and Technology suggests that humans may consume between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles annually.

National Geographic reports that we may inhale around 74,000 microplastic particles each year.

Visualize the Consumption

To put these numbers into perspective:

• Every week, we consume the equivalent of a credit card or a plastic pen in microplastics.

• Every month, our plastic intake is equivalent to the weight of an entire clothes hanger.

• Every year, we ingest and inhale over 100,000 microplastic particles.

• The Urgent Need for Change

The reality is even more alarming than we previously thought. New data suggests that we may be consuming about an entire credit card’s worth of plastic every DAY, not just every week. This discovery underscores the critical need for immediate action.

What can we do?

While the situation is serious, there are steps we can take to reduce our exposure and combat this growing problem:

• Minimize the use of single-use plastics.

• Choose products with less plastic packaging.

• Support policies and initiatives that aim to reduce plastic production and pollution.

• Spread awareness about the seriousness of microplastic pollution.

Remember: Something has to change, and it starts with us. By understanding the problem and taking action, we can work towards a future with less plastic in our environment and our bodies.

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