Addressing the planet's ocean plastics problem

Our oceans are full of plastic — an estimated 200 million metric tons. And it's the microscopic pieces that could be the biggest threat.

Our oceans are full of plastic — an estimated 200 million metric tons, according to The Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving oceans. And around the world, organizations large and small spend endless hours trying to keep us from making the problem worse.

Each plastic bottle, shopping bag or piece of an old toy threatens marine life and habitats. This garbage collects in floating patches in oceans around the world. The largest of them, in the Pacific, is estimated to be three times the size of France.

But it’s the tiny, microscopic plastics that could be an even bigger threat.

Everything from our car tires to our clothes can end up depositing so-called microplastics into the ocean. There, they latch onto corals, blend into marine habitats and get eaten by fish. They’re virtually impossible to remove, and they carry sometimes deadly chemicals. 

Early research shows microplastics could have incredibly harmful effects on humans: lung damage, gut inflammation and autoimmune disruption. Chemicals carried with microplastics are known to cause cancer and organ damage and interfere with the human nervous and reproductive system.