A Credit Card’s Worth - How much?!

In 2026, The Big Plastic Count estimated that the UK bins 82 billion pieces of plastic each year, with over half, 59%, being burnt in the UK.

So how much are we consuming?

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) published a report in 2019 based on research that estimated humans ingest around 5g of plastic weekly, a credit card’s worth, equating to around 50 plastic bags annually. A shocking number, shared by news outlets globally, but how true is it?

Microplastics are particles smaller than 5mm, with nanoplastics measuring even smaller (<1 𝜇m). They occur from the breakdown of larger plastics such as bags, bottles, and boxes, or they are manufactured at microscopic sizes. Found in drinking water, seafood, salt, produce and the air we breathe, so it isn't so shocking that we consume so much.

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Researchers have detected microplastics in the blood, lungs, kidneys, breast milk, placenta, testes and many more areas of the human body. Studies suggest that microplastics may trigger inflammation, damage cells, and alter immune responses but these studies expose cells to concentrations much higher than humans typically encounter, therefore it is unknown whether exposure equates to harm in humans. Whilst there is no direct correlation to disease yet, the exposure is widespread.

However, the estimate was not based on direct measurements of people. Instead, the research combined data from multiple studies measuring microplastic volume in food, water, and air, then estimated average exposure and ingestion. A modelled estimate, not observed fact. The claim is therefore controversial as the evidence is incomplete with scientists not knowing how much plastic different people consume, country variance, and food ingestion versus inhalation.

Recent studies indicate previous estimates may have overestimated exposure due to sampling contamination while others suggest underestimation due to the undetectable nanoplastic. So the answer remains uncertain, with no simple yes or no.

What can we do to reduce exposure?

• Drink filtered tap water

• Reduce single-use plastics

• Choosing natural fibres when possible

• Avoid heating food in plastic containers

• Home ventilation to reduce airborne fibres

Whilst the credit card per week headline grabbed the world's attention, the real story is far more interesting. The microplastic world remains unknown, but what we do know is that it is everywhere, in the air, our food, water, and homes. As research continues, the challenge isn't only measuring how much we are exposed to, but determining what that exposure means for future generations.

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For more information contact: info@scarabtrust.org.uk

Image: Kitchen, Scale, Weight - Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay (ST ref: 1399)