The Problem with Plastics

By Katie Sheahan | April 8, 2026

Plastic and other waste from a beach cleanup in Miami, 2022. Image by Katie Sheahan

When I was growing up, no one talked about microplastics. We didn’t hear about it in the news or on the radio or in documentaries on TV. In fact, for the first 6 years of my life, there wasn’t a single published paper on microplastics. The earliest study to officially coin and publish the term "microplastics" was published in 2004 by professor Richard Thompson and colleagues in the journal Science. Before this (and honestly for way too long after) we lived in blissful ignorance, playing with plastic toys and drinking from plastic bottles once before tossing them in the trash. For this whole “awakening” to happen in my lifetime is both scary and eye-opening, but we really didn’t use plastics daily until the 1950s. While early synthetic plastics like Bakelite existed since 1907, the shift to consumer goods, packaging, and "throwaway" culture exploded in the late 40s and 50s, with products like Tupperware (1948) and the increased availability of plastic food containers (Gilbert 2017, Olatunji 2024).

The Plastic Crisis 

With newer studies on micro and nanoplastics now flooding scientific journals, we’ve been able to truly assess the impact of plastics on our lives. It’s in our bloodstreams, the milk we nurse our babies with, the soil we grow our food in, and engrained in the cells of much of the wildlife and natural resources we depend on. Now that we’re aware of the plastic crisis, we can start to tackle it. But where do we begin? There are plenty of studies and resources out there for you to learn about the effects of plastics on humans, and I am not a microplastics researcher, so I’ll leave it to the pros. However, if you are to take only one thing away from this post, remember that every single piece of plastic that has ever been created still exists on Earth, and will far outlast humanity and many other species with its presence on this planet. Right now, we can all start to implement small changes in our daily lives to eliminate plastic and restore the health of both the global ecosystem and ourselves. Here are a few resources to help you get started.

An egret amidst a plastic-ridden estuary

Know the Facts

1. Plastic production has skyrocketed over time. Global annual plastic production increased from about 1.5 million tons in 1950 to nearly 391 million tons by 2021, reflecting the massive scale of material entering the environment (Galloway et al. 2017).

2. Microplastics are defined as tiny plastic particles smaller than 5 mm. These particles include primary microplastics (manufactured small) and secondary microplastics (broken down from larger items) (Li et al. 2023).

3. Plastics accumulate in marine environments from multiple sources. They enter oceans via land-based activities (wastewater discharge, runoff), maritime activities (fisheries, shipping), and natural fragmentation processes (Casillas et al. 2023).

4. Microplastics are ubiquitous across aquatic systems. Scientists have found microplastics in marine, freshwater, and even polar environments, including rivers, lakes, sediments, and ice (Zolotova et al 2022).

5. Small microplastics are widely distributed by ocean currents. Particles smaller than 1 mm can be transported long distances, spreading contamination across ocean basins (Huang et al. 2021).

6. Microplastics harm marine organisms at multiple levels. They can cause physical and chemical stress, including ingestion blockage, oxidative stress, and reproductive effects in zooplankton, bivalves, and other species (Thompson et al. 2021).

7. Microplastics enter the food web through trophic transfer. When small organisms ingest them, particles can accumulate up the food chain, affecting larger animals and eventually reaching humans (Bhardwai et al. 2024).

8. Microplastics are found in freshwater environments crucial to people’s lives. Studies have documented them in bottled water, tap water, river organisms, and freshwater sediments (Thompson et al. 2004).

9. Plastic pollution may impact ecosystem functions like carbon cycling. Emerging research suggests microplastics can disrupt the ocean’s biological carbon pump, affecting climate‑regulating processes (Pang et al. 2025).

10. Microplastics can adsorb and transport toxic chemicals. Because plastic surfaces attract persistent organic pollutants and other toxic substances, they can act as vectors that bring harmful chemicals into organisms and ecosystems (Verla et al. 2019).

Tropical fish swimming in a sea of plastic garbage

Make the Switch

Here are some of the simplest everyday swaps that reduce single-use plastic waste without overcomplicating your routine.

Plastic Item	Swap	Tips
Water Bottle	Pick up a sturdy aluminum bottle or thermos	Keep it handy and refill frequently!
Cutlery	Bamboo or aluminum cutlery are reusable and easy to keep on hand	Keep a set in your car or workbag
Shampoo and Conditioner	Try bars (available at Sprouts and Whole Foods) or head to your local refill store for liquids	Bring glass bottles to the refill store, or ask if they have any recyclables you can use
Laundry detergent (pods and liquid in bottles)	Natural laundry detergent sheets work just as well as chemical-filled name brands and are great for sensitive skin	I love Earth Breeze and Kind Laundry detergent sheets. For tough stains, mix dish soap and baking soda, scrub onto stain, let sit 5-10 mins, and wash
Sunscreen (and other skincare)	Mineral sunscreens come as balms in aluminum containers, or you can fill your reusable tube up at your local refill store	Mineral sunscreens (with non-nano zinc oxide) are the safest for both coral reefs and human endocrine systems
Deodorant	Refillable deodorant cartridges or ones that come in recyclable cardboard containers are a much better alternative to the chemical and plastic heavy brands we’re accustomed to	Wild offers plastic-free packaging and aluminum-free formulas made with 95%-98% natural ingredients. They come in so many amazing scents and actually work. Your local refill store also might offer alternatives in cardboard packaging that reduce import shipping costs
Lip balm	Make your own in reusable tins or buy recyclable metal/cardboard packaging (Little Otter, Alpine Provisions,, Poppy & Pout,, River Organics) or refillable tubes (like from Wild)	To make at home, melt 1 part cocoa butter with 3 parts jojoba oil in a double boiler and add 5–10 drops of essential oil (like peppermint). If you’re going to the trouble of making your own lip balm, try sourcing local ingredients that don’t come in plastic packaging!
Grocery bags	Canvas or cotton bags	Always keep these in your car or bag. While the reusable, sturdier plastic bags aim to target single-use waste, it takes more plastic to produce them, and they will still end up in the environment. Natural fibers are always the better choice
New clothing	Thrift or buy 100% cotton clothing	Most clothing is made from synthetic, petroleum-based fibers, like polyester. Learn how to use a sewing machine and a whole new world of opportunities opens at the thrift store!

Freshwater ecosystem under Blanca Peak, Colorado. Image by Katie Sheahan

Bhardwaj, L. K., Rath, P., Yadav, P., & Gupta, U. (2024). Microplastic contamination, an emerging threat to the freshwater environment: a systematic review. Environmental Systems Research, 13(1), 8.

Casillas, G., Hubbard, B. C., Telfer, J., Zarate-Bermudez, M., Muianga, C., Zarus, G. M., ... & Hunter, C. M. (2023). Microplastics scoping review of environmental and human exposure data. Microplastics, 2(1), 78-92.

Galloway, T. S., Cole, M., & Lewis, C. (2017). Interactions of microplastic debris throughout the marine ecosystem. Nature ecology & evolution, 1(5), 0116.

Gilbert, M. (2017). Plastics materials: Introduction and historical development. In Brydson's plastics materials (pp. 1-18). Butterworth-Heinemann.

Huang, W., Song, B., Liang, J., Niu, Q., Zeng, G., Shen, M., ... & Zhang, Y. (2021). Microplastics and associated contaminants in the aquatic environment: A review on their ecotoxicological effects, trophic transfer, and potential impacts to human health. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 405, 124187.

Olatunji, O. (2024). A history of plastics. Re-envisioning Plastics Role in the Global Society: Perspectives on Food, Urbanization, and Environment, 11-26.

Pang, Q., Wu, P., Galgani, L., Wang, X., Zhang, Z., Yuan, T., ... & Zhang, Y. (2025). The potential impacts of plastic on the marine carbon cycle. Nature Sustainability, 8(10), 1154-1163.

Thompson, R. C., Courtene-Jones, W., Boucher, J., Pahl, S., Raubenheimer, K., & Koelmans, A. A. (2024). Twenty years of microplastic pollution research—what have we learned?. Science, 386(6720), eadl2746.

Thompson, R. C., Olsen, Y., Mitchell, R. P., Davis, A., Rowland, S. J., John, A. W., ... & Russell, A. E. (2004). Lost at sea: where is all the plastic?. Science, 304(5672), 838-838.

Verla, A. W., Enyoh, C. E., Verla, E. N., & Nwarnorh, K. O. (2019). Microplastic–toxic chemical interaction: a review study on quantified levels, mechanism and implication. SN Applied Sciences, 1(11), 1400.

Zolotova, N., Kosyreva, A., Dzhalilova, D., Fokichev, N., & Makarova, O. (2022). Harmful effects of the microplastic pollution on animal health: a literature review. PeerJ, 10, e13503.