Microplastics 101: Everything You Need to Know

Since the 1950s, more than 8.3 billion tons of plastic has been produced by humans. All in all, only 9% of these plastics have actually been recycled, and the rest has either been incinerated or landed up in landfills — and, in many cases, in the natural environment, especially waterways and oceans. At our current rate of plastic production and disposal, our oceans are on track to contain more plastic than fish as soon as 2050.

Consider single-use plastic water bottles, for instance. One million of these plastic bottles are purchased every minute. So, what happens to all of this plastic? When we fail to dispose of it safely and it ends in natural environments, how do they change? Do they ever truly decompose?