Microplastics—tiny plastic bits—are turning up everywhere these days: at the bottom of the sea, on mountain peaks, and even inside our bodies. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says these particles can be almost invisible or as big as a pencil eraser. Some, like microbeads in scrubs and toothpastes, are made intentionally small. Most, though, come from bigger items—plastic bags, clothes, tires, and bottles—breaking down over time.
Microplastics aren’t just in water. They’re turning up in soil and air, too.
“It’s probably safe to say that microplastics are just about everywhere,” says Susan Gardner, who leads UNEP’s Ecosystems Division.
In 2020 alone, roughly 2.7 million tonnes of these particles made their way into the environment, with that number expected to double by 2040. Once loose, they can drift through food chains, water, and even the air we breathe.
Researchers are still figuring out what all this means for our health. Tiny plastics have shown up in human arteries and organs, and they can harm marine plants and animals. In some cases, microplastics even make soil less fertile and speed up melting in places like the Arctic.
The good news? There are ways to help. UNEP urges companies to ditch unnecessary microplastics and design products that shed less plastic in the first place. Better recycling and waste systems would also keep more plastic out of nature and prevent it from breaking down into even more fragments.
With governments now hammering out a global treaty to end plastic pollution, and microplastics in the spotlight this World Environment Day, UNEP is calling for action—reminding us that while the problem is everywhere, solutions are within reach.
