Plastic Soup Foundation
  • The issue
      • Plastic Soup
      • What is plastic?
      • Plastic in the environment
      • Harm to animals
      • Health effects
      • Regulations
      • Bogus solutions
      • Responsibilities
      • Sustainable development
      • Facts & Figures
  • What we do
      • Health
      • Microplastics
      • Education
      • Plastic Waste
      • Other Projects
  • What you can do
      • As a consumer
      • As an organization
      • As a school
  • Solutions
  • News
  • Donate
  • NL
  • EN
  • Search
  • Menu Menu

What we do

You are here: What we do Microplastics

Microplastics

Plastic never really decomposes, but over time degrades into smaller and smaller pieces. First, it turns into ‘microplastics’, pieces of plastic smaller than 5 millimeters. Then it fragments into the even smaller ‘nanoplastics’, which are no longer visible to the naked eye.

Microplastics originating from larger pieces of plastic that slowly degrade into ever smaller pieces are called secondary microplastics. Microplastics that are deliberately produced and added to our cosmetics (which often flow straight into the environment as tiny grains of plastic when we wash them off) are called primary microplastics.

With our free Beat the Microbead app, you can scan all your personal care and cosmetic products for yourself to see if they contain plastic ingredients. Our Ocean Clean Wash campaign will additionally teach you all about microfibers and the relationship between your clothes and plastic in the ocean.

Beat the Microbead

Ocean Clean Wash

Nurdles

Go to

  • Plastic Waste
  • Education
  • Other projects
  • Health
  • Microplastics

About us

  • Frontrunners
  • Mission & Vision
  • Our People
  • Working with Us
  • Annual Reports
  • Inquiries Press
  • Newsletter

Our approach

  • Plastic Soup Angels
  • Funds & Partners
  • Ambassadors
  • Plastic Soup Awards
  • Plastic Soup Atlas
  • Facts & Figures
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • LinkedIn

  • YouTube

  • Contact

 
© Copyright - Plastic Soup Foundation
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy
  • GDPR Consent Settings
Scroll to top

GDPR settings

This website uses some cookies which are placed on your device. Your web browser stores these cookies when you visit our Website: www.plasticsoupfoundation.org. These cookies will be retrieved when you visit or use our Website again. This allows us to recognise you as a previous visitor/user.

Privacy policy
Close