What did we do before plastic? It's hard to imagine a world without plastic. We use it everyday. and depend on it. In the short term, it can make life easier. Long term, it's creating a big pollution problem making life much harder on the planet.
Having a world that depends on plastic has created a hidden problem - MICROPLASTIC. Around two-thirds of all plastic that remains in our environment breaks down slowly into microplastics. An average person consumes 5 grams each week, and in a lifetime eats about 44lbs of microplastic.
Here are 8 products that have hidden microplastics. Things we consume on a daily basis. Surprise! Microplastic is hiding in ...
1. Salt - Researchers found 90% of table salt brands sampled contained microplastic.
Mohammad Rasel / Getty Images
2 Apples - Researchers found 233,000 plastic particles per gram of apple.
warrengoldswain / Getty Images
3 Tap Water - An international study found 83% of samples of tap water contain microplastics.
profstocktv / Getty Images
4 Bottle Water - Another study showed 93% of bottled water contained microplastics. On average there was 325 particles of microplastic in each liter of bottled water.
Hyrma/ Getty Images
5 Beer - One study found microplastic in 12 different brands of beer made from water from the Great lakes. Another test of 24 German beers showed 100% of the samples had microplastic.
Alexander Bayurov / Getty Images
6 Glitter - Premade microplastics that have a negative impact on the plants and animals in the ecosystem.
Iana Miroshnichenko / Getty Images
7 Chewing Gum - Companies put plastic in their gum on purpose. Many times it's listed as "gum base" that contains plastic. 1Thing you can do is chew plastic-free and natural gum.
Gum 7 happy_lark / Getty Images
8 Teabags - 96% contain hidden microplastic. They look like they are made of cotton, but 25% is plastic. It keeps them shut and able to be boiled.
welcomeinside / Getty Images
Avoiding using plastic might seem overwhelming. Take it 1Thing at a time. Take a single-use plastic out of your daily routine. Go for reusable containers / bags, utensils, cups, straws ... Doing 1Thing each day makes a difference! Aim Plastic Free has ton of helpful information and tips. Plus a guided Plastic Free Challenge to Help Be the Solution to Stop Plastic Pollution!
