The first part in this two part series established what microplastics are. In this second part we are looking at whether they are harmful to humans, and if so, should we be worried? Microplastics are very likely present in our bodies. Dr Dušan Materić of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research says ‘We do have plastics in us … I think that is safe to assume’. Plastic is closely tied to our food and drink. Research by Retail Economics found that 70% of UK food packagin

The UK produces an exorbitant amount of plastic packaging waste (such as food and snack wrappers and single-use plastic bags).In 2024, the UK produced an estimated 2.3 million tonnes of plastic waste. Only 17% of that plastic waste was recycled, while over 58% was burned in incinerators and the remainder was sent to other countries to be dumped in landfills, according to The Big Plastic Count by Greenpeace. Despite increased customer awareness of plastic packaging’s harmf

Latest research shows that patients who suffer heart attacks have more micro and nanoplastics in their blood. When we talk about plastic and health, the conversation usually revolves around the stomach and digestion. But microplastics don't stay in the gut. Nanoplastics are small enough to pass through the lungs or gut into the bloodstream, where they can travel throughout the body, and they have been found in the blood vessels supplying the heart. The first big warning came

Microplastics, tiny fragments of plastic measuring less than five millimetres in length, are everywhere. They are in our clothes, our homes, and even the food we eat. Small enough to go unnoticed, and near impossible to clean up once they have entered the environment, they have infiltrated the food chain at every level. The main route via which microplastics enter the environment is through our waterways. Water degrades large plastic waste into tiny fragments, which are quic

Chemical recycling breaks down plastic and turns it into its plastic components. It is a collection of technologies using heat, solvents, enzymes and sound waves to do so. The idea is that chemically recycled plastic can be used for new plastic products., but some of the messaging around it makes this method seem more ecologically sound than it really is. Chemical recycling uses pyrolysis, a process of heating material in a sealed chamber without oxygen. In this case, shred

In January 2026, the Guardian reported that the ‘bombshell’ research paper claiming to have found microplastics in the human brain has been strongly refuted by academics, due to what they call insufficient ‘methodological’ precautions taken by the original research team to arrive at their conclusion. The article concluded, with interviews from experts, that the presence of microplastics in the human body is not fully proved, but according to some experts, very likely to be pr

Plastic pollution is easy to see on a beach—but much harder to measure, understand and prevent. Artificial intelligence, or AI, can be used as a tool to collect and analyse information on plastic pollution. This can help guide positive action.' Not all AI is the same “AI” is often discussed as though it is one single technology. That can be misleading. Much of the current debate focuses on generative AI: tools that produce text, images, audio or video. These systems are linke

Disinformation and the ongoing concerns of greenwashing continues to present as a key barrier to transitioning to greener and more sustainable ways of living. This is certainly true of the plastics industry. Plastic use in healthcare is undoubtedly widespread and we’re often led to believe that plastic is the only solution. We all know that plastics are bad for the environment, but could this widespread application also be contributing to ill-health? Initiatives that promote

What if your latest purchase wasn’t really a choice? What if the product was designed to be replaced, the promise of “free” delivery, and the item you threw away never really went away? What if the problem isn’t that we aren’t buying the wrong things, but that we have been encouraged to buy far more than we actually need? These are the questions at the centre of Netflix's Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy, a thought-provoking documentary that takes a critical look at modern co

Fatty liver disease, also known as Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease, is caused by a build up of fat in the liver and affects one third of the adult global population. Many factors contribute to fatty liver disease including diet, obesity, insulin resistance, genes, and gut dysbiosis. There are four stages of fatty liver disease: Steatosis: Accumulation of fat, with no damage to the liver Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: Accumulation o

Plastic is used everywhere, for everything. From the food we eat to the clothes we wear, many of these products come wrapped in unnecessary plastic packaging that all too often ends up in our streets, oceans, or landfill sites when it can’t be recycled. Reusable packaging and containers are central to a circular economy for plastic because it helps to eliminate waste and plastic pollution by replacing single-use items with longer lasting alternatives. Opting for reusable alte

England’s waste system faces a second problem closely connected to lock-in: capacity. The Government’s statutory 2042 target requires residual waste to fall to 287 kg per person, while the interim target is 437 kg per person by 2030⁠. Defra’s modelling indicates that collection and packaging reforms will contribute towards the reduction, but further policies will be required to close the remaining gap. That matters because incinerators are long-lived assets. If more capacity

Flexible plastic spout pouches are the most widely used packaging for baby food globally, used by 92% of parents in the UK with children between 0-3. The polyethylene inner layer, which comes into direct contact with the food, has been found to be a source of microplastics and plastic-associated chemicals. Greenpeace commissioned the testing of two popular baby food products from Nestle and Danone to assess the levels of microplastics and plastic associated chemicals in both

The plastics crisis is often believed to be a waste management problem exacerbated by irresponsible consumers. This false perception is the result of a campaign of disinformation from the plastics industry. The real problem – excessive plastic production – has been deliberately obscured by corporate interests that make profit from plastic. Dark PR: How Corporate Disinformation Undermines Our Health and the Environment by Grant Ennis presents 9 recurring frames as a way to und

As plastic is part of our lives, using innovative solutions for waste management may be necessary. However, this can mislead the public into believing that plastic use is sustainable. When considering the consequences and complexities, these may not be sustainable solutions at all. Improved recycling collections - As plastic is part of our lives, it is obviously desirable to recycle as much of our waste as possible. Innovative collection methods may lead to higher rates of r