October 31, 2021

At this point on time, we can all agree we know what plastic is. This famous chemical formula, one that is used worldwide, has infiltrated our social system. Almost anything we touch, at home, at school, at the grocery store, and at the doctor’s office is indeed plastic. However, a new and prevailing issue stemming from plastic consumption is microplastics.

Unlike any other, microplastics are pieces of plastic smaller than 5 millimeters in length. To put that into perspective, microplastics are smaller than sesame seeds. Microplastic stems from the plastic humans throw into the ocean, causing the plastic to break down into smaller particles, ones that will eventually remain in the ocean. This is especially harmful to sea life, as they are now feeding on plastic. Numerous species of birds and aquatic animals eat these microplastics without even realizing it exists. However, the more demanding issue is how small the plastic actually is. Usually, beach-clean ups focus on picking up trash, such as pieces of plastic, around the beach. But, since microplastics are so small, it is humanly impossible to find them. Due to this, as humans, it is difficult to help our environment from this environmental catastrophe.

Additionally, microplastics can also be found in beauty and healthcare products. These types of microplastics are called microbeads. They usually look like small beads that are meant to provide a further cleanse, but instead they are simply pieces of plastic. We usually find microbeads in toothpastes, skin care products, and even sanitizer! With the current COVID-19 pandemic, the use of sanitizer has skyrocketed, causing microbeads to be even more consumed. Now, as we use more microbeads, more sea life has been consuming microbeads, and once we consume sea life, the plastic goes into our body.

Personally, I don’t want to be consuming plastic, so here’s what we can do:

To begin, many scientists have suggested creating your own handmade beauty products at home, with organic sources. Or, you can look into products that don’t hold these materials: Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), Nylon (PA), Polyurethane, Acrylates copolymer.

To end, microplastics are dangerous. We know this and we must act now, or who knows how bad microplastic consumption will be for our future generations. One step at a time, slowly but surely, we will be able to attack this issue.