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Doing better with plastics
Summary
Plastic is woven into nearly every part of modern life, but that convenience comes at a cost: over 11 million tons of it end up in our oceans and waterways each year, breaking down into tiny micro- and nanoplastic particles that are nearly impossible to clean up and can end up in our food and water. This review looks at why plastic pollution is expected to get four times worse by 2050 and explores how we might keep the benefits of plastic while cutting down on the harm it causes to our health and environment.
Plastic is everywhere. It protects our food, underpins our textiles, enables our transport, and plays a crucial role in modern medicine. However, the resulting consequences of its ubiquitous usage are becoming ever more apparent. Each year, over 11 million tonnes of plastics enter our lakes, rivers, and oceans, fragmenting into micro- and nanoplastics that are near impossible to remove. If left unaddressed, plastic pollution is projected to quadruple by 2050. Despite the damage caused by plastics, it’s hard to imagine a world without them.