Sources of nanoplastic and microplastic pollution which are hidden in plain sight

Abstract

Plastic pollution is pervasive in our environment, with impacts seen across ecosystems and taxa. While plastic has become an integral part of our daily lives, not all of it is readily apparent, making it challenging to effectively reduce plastic pollution. A hidden source of plastic pollution is plastic-based printing, which is used on a wide range of items including single-use products like plastic food containers and multi-use plastic items like credit cards. This also includes items that we would not consider to be sources of plastic pollution such as glass bottles with surface printing. The widespread use of this printing, therefore, results in even non-plastic items contributing to plastic pollution, potentially contaminating recycling streams and exacerbating nano- and microplastic (NMP) dispersion. Given the challenges of remediating NMP plastic pollution once it has entered the environment, prevention becomes paramount. With significant efforts underway to reduce plastic production, it is important to take a holistic approach to redesigning objects and materials to avoid false solutions, which will continue to contribute to ecosystem degradation and planetary boundary transgressions. To make meaningful progress and avoid ineffective solutions, it is imperative to consider all sources of plastic pollution, including those concealed within apparently non-plastic objects.