Why plastic-free?

With the average person using 0.34 kg of plastic every single day, humanity produces an astonishing 460–500 million metric tons of plastic waste each year. To put that into perspective, that’s the weight of 3,700 to 4,000 Statues of Liberty (with pedestal and base) made entirely of plastic trash—every single year.

Unlike organic matter, plastics don’t break down into harmless byproducts like CO₂ or water. The very properties that make plastics so useful—durability, flexibility, and resistance to degradation—become deeply problematic after disposal. Instead of disappearing, plastics simply fragment into smaller and smaller pieces, becoming what we call microplastics (MPs, <5 mm).

 

Over time, these MPs can be inhaled or ingested by animals and humans, where they may lodge in tissues, trigger inflammation, and cause long-term health risks. Even worse, plastics act like sponges in the environment—absorbing heavy metals and “forever chemicals” like PFAS, which they then transfer to any organism unlucky enough to consume them.

 

With only about 10% of plastics ever recycled, our plastic future looks grim unless we choose a different path. But here’s the paradox: plastics are also woven into the fabric of our daily lives. They keep blood sterile in hospitals, extend the shelf life of food, and provide unparalleled convenience.

 

This love–hate relationship with plastics is at the heart of our mission. At Plastic-Free Pals, we empower students and adults alike to understand the plastic problem and discover how everyday lifestyle changes and collective action can help turn the tide against plastic pollution.

Learn More - MPs in the Soil (ArcGIS Storymap)

 

“Beauty and Detriment: Microplastics”
To figure out its plastic species,
We often look for a number below
However, what if they’re in tiny pieces?
How now shall we know?
 
When these plastics break down to the miniscule,
With each type fragmenting slowly and differently.
Maybe that’s exactly where lies the needed clue
To figure out their identity with ease and efficiency
 
Stained with Nile Red, these plastics glow
Ever uniquely because of their intrinsic properties
Ranging from purple, blue, red and yellow
Their identity may lie in these oddities
 
As pretty and charming as they may shine,
These microplastics are still a pest.
Hopefully with this method we shall find
An identification method that works best.