MICROPLASTICS AND WASTE MANAGEMENT

"We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." - Dennis

Hall, writer

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." - Upton Sinclair

INTRODUCTION:

The history of technological advancement is full of stories of great successes resulting in incredible gains for industry. government. and consumers alike. Inventions such as the airplane, the automobile, and personal computers revolutionized the way people live. Unfortunately. the history of technological development is also littered with inadvertently destructive inventions that now serve as cautionary tales highlighting unintended. sometimes harmful consequences of innovation. Notable historical example-; include:

A product called 'Undark' was introduced by the US Radium Corporation in 1896. Undark ,vas a luminous radium-containing paint that rose to fame in the early 20th century as a mane! of modern science. It ,vas used to make watch dials and instruments glow in the dark. Its widespread use surged between 1917 and 1938 as companies marketed it as both safe and glamorous. Factory supervisors encouraged hundreds of young women employed as factory workers to use their mouths to moisten the paintbrush into a point precise enough for painting numerals onto the watch faces for \vatchcs issued en masse to soldiers during WWI. Workers who had ingested radium paint began suffering severe hea1th defects and various forms of cancer: a nmv-kno\vn result of radium poisoning. This led to public outrage. lawsuits, and the eventual ban of radium-based consumer products.

Asbestos rose to prominence in the early 20th century for its remarkable heat resistance, strength, and affordability, becoming a common material in construction, manufacturing. and consumer products. Its use peaked in the mid-I 900s, when it was found in everything from insulation and brake pads to household appliances. However, by the late 20th century, as evidence mounted linking asbestos exposure to deadly diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer, widespread bans and regulations led to its sharp decline and ongoing remediation efforts.

Plastics began rising in the early 20th century as versatile, lightweight, and inexpensive materials that could replace traditional materials like wood, metal, and glass. Mass production during and after World War II fueled widespread use of plastics in packaging, construction, consumer goods, and electronics, transforming everyday life. Their durability and low cost. while revolutionary. also set the stage for

long-term ecological accumulation and pollution challenges. Today, there is growing concern that plastics and more specifically, microplastics, are wreaking major biological and ecological harm. So perhaps the question we should be asking ourselves is 'is plastic the next asbestos?'

DEFINING MICROPLASTICS:

Microplastics are simply tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in diameter. They are commonly divided into two categories: primary or secondary microplastics. Primary microplastics are deliberately produced as smaller components of a finished product, typically used for industrial or cosmetic purposes. Secondary microplastics result from the degradation of larger plastic debris through processes like sunlight exposure. wave action, and mechanical abrasion.

You may also be familiar with the term ·nanoplastics'. Nanoplastics are even smaller particles, typically less than 100 nanometers in size - essentially microscopic dust particles that similarly result from the breakdown of larger plastics. Because of their tiny dimensions, nanoplastics can penetrate biological cell membranes, and even cross the blood-brain barrier in humans, raising serious health and ecological concerns. Microplastics and nanoplastics. collectively referred to henceforth as microplastics, arc found in oceans, rivers, soil, air and even within living organisms, including humans.

SCALE OF THE PROBLEM:

Microplastics are one of the most ubiquitous pollutants on earth and are a growing global concern because they are nearly impossible to remove from natural ecosystems once dispersed. Because most plastics take hundreds to thousands of years to decompose, and because of low global recycling rates, it is estimated that roughly 79% of all the plastic ever produced is still present in the environment today -                                          either in landfills, oceans, or scattered throughout ecosystems. Global annual waste figures are difficult to

ascertain due to reporting variabilities and discrepancies between countries. Composite estimates are uniformly enormous ranging from 400 to 500 million tonnes of plastic waste generated each year. Sixty to seventy percent of waste is attributable to everyday consumer goods such as packaging, bottles, bags utensils, and textiles. Forty to fo11y-five percent of this consumer plastic waste is attributed to packaging alone. Twenty to thirty percent of global plastic waste is due to industrial and commercial waste linked to manufacturing, shipping, construction, and agriculture functions. Five to ten percent is attributed to production or pre-consumer \\1aste.

It is known that plastic waste rates are driven by consumerism. urbanization and rising living standards. The United Nations projects a world population of9.7 billion in 2050, up from 8.3 billion currently. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an international agency focused on global social and economic policy. projects that without intervention. annual global plastic usage and waste will triple by 2060, reaching as much as l. 7 billion metric tonnes. The widespread presence of microplastics highlights the urgent need for improved waste management, a reduction in single-use plastics, and the development of biodegradable alternatives to limit the adverse impact of continued environmental contamination.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS:

In aquatic ecosystems. microplastics are particularly damaging. They disrupt the base of the food chain, as plankton and small organisms mistake them for food, reducing nutrient intake and survival rates. As these organisms arc in turn consumed by larger species, microplastics move up the food chain. threatening fish, seabirds and larger marine mammals. This not only affects biodiversity but also the health of entire ecosystems and the fishing industries that rely on them.

Microplastics alter habitats by settling on ocean and river floors, changing sediment composition and interfering with gas exchange and nutrient cycling. Discarded plastics floating in our rivers and oceans can transport invasive species and harmful pathogens to ne,v regions. disrupting native ecosystems.

There are at least 5 major oceanic garbage patches, massive accumulations of marine debris, primarily plastics. floating in the world's oceans. Ocean currents and wind patterns trap lightweight waste creating dense zones of microp1astics and 1arger discarded items such as bottles, nets and packaging. This debris poses severe threats to marine lifo, including ingestion, entanglement, and habitat disruption. The vast majority of debris in these garbage patches is suspended beneath the surface! making cleanup extremely challenging. Marine ecosystems are under severe stress. Fish populations have declined sharply due to overfishing, pollution, and climate change, with many geographical regions showing signs of ecological collapse.

On land, microplastics contaminate agricultural soils through fertilizers sewage sludge and irrigation with polluted water. These particles can affect soil structure, reduce soil fertility, and harm beneficial organisms such as earthworms and microbes, exacerbating regional challenges with crop production. In the atmosphere, airborne microplastics contribute to air pollution and can travel long distances, eventually depositing in remote mountainous areas and polar regions before eventually washing out into water runoff leading back to our rivers and oceans.

BIOLOGICAL IMPACTS:

Microplastics have widespread biological effects on living organisms. including humans. Because of their small size and persistence, microplastics can be ingested or inhaled by a \-Vide range of species. Humans ingest microplastics through seafood consumption and drinking water (tap and bottled), and also from eating food or beverages packaged in plastics or otherwise stored in plastic containers. Humans inhale microplastics by breathing airborne dust from synthetic textiles, carpets. tire ,:vear paiticles, and building materials. Once inside the human body, microplastics accumulate in tissues where their rough surfaces

can injure internal organs, causing subtle but widespread biological harm. Microplastics have been detected in every tissue of the human body, including the heart, lungs, liver. kidneys, brain, and cardiovascular system. Pieces of microplastics have been identified in placentas examined after childbirth and in atherosclerotic plaques found at autopsy or removed surgically. This is a sobering sign of the ubiquity of microplastics in our environment.

Numerous scientific studies indicate that microplastics and associated chemicals leach into human tissues. evoking biological changes leading to: 1. Inflammation and oxidative stress, potentially putting people at higher risk for heart attack, stroke, or death; 2. Disruption of endocrine systems leading to impaired fertility and reproductive functions throughout the human lifecycle; 3. Damage to cellular DNA and promotion of cancer risk; 4. Impaired immune function; and finally, 5. There are growing concerns over potential threats to children's health, as some studies have suggested links between microplastics, autism and diabetes.

KEY COMPONENTS AND HARMFUL CHEMICALS:

Several harmful chemicals are associated with microplastics, either as additives introduced in the manufacturing process, or as pollutants that plastics absorb from the environment. These chemicals contribute significantly to the toxicity and environmental impact.

The most concerning include:

1.      Bisphenol A (BPA):

Used in producing polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, BPA is an endocrine disruptor that mimics hormones, namely estrogen, in the body. It is known to interfere with reproductive systems, brain development, and metabolic processes in both humans and wildlife.

2.       Phthalates:

These are plasticizers added to make plastics more flexible. Phthalates can leach out of microplastics and are linked to hormonal disruption, developmental defects and decreased fertility in humans and aquatic organisms.

3.       Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCBs):

Although banned in many countries, PCBs persist in the environment and are readily absorbed by microp1astics. They bioaccumulate in marine organisms and cause immune suppression� cancer. and reproductive problems.

4.       Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are formed from incomplete combustion of organic material. They can adhere to microplastics and can be carcinogenic and mutagenic, posing severe health risks to aquatic and terrestrial life.

5.       Heavy Metals (e.g.. lead cadmium. mercury) can bind with microplastics which then serve as a carrier eventually introducing these toxic metals to humans causing organ damage leading to cancers and metabolic problems.

CULPABLE INDUSTRIES AND OFFENDERS:

Cheap oil and natural gas make it economically attractive to produce virgin plastics. The petrochemical industry continues to expand capacity. especially in Asia and the U.S. countries lack extended

producer responsibility (EPR) or circular economy mandates. The largest manufacturers of raw plastic resins and polymers, the building blocks for most plastic products, include chemical giants like US based Dow Chemical, DuPont, and Exxon Mobil; Sinopec (Beihjing), SABIC (Saudi Arabia), BASF (Germany), and INEOS (London).

Dow Chemical posted just under $43 billion in total revenue in 2024. Nearly fifty-one percent of that is attributable to sales of plastic-related compounds produced for use as material inputs by smaller intermediary companies specializing in consumer and specialty packaging.

Consumer giants, Coca-cola, PepsiCo, Nestle, Danone, and Phillip Morris, listed in descending order. consistently produce roughly 25% of all branded plastic worldwide. For 2023, Coca cola reported that 50% of its unit sales were packaged in plastic bottles and 50% in aluminum cans. This calculates out to roughly 150 billion 20 ounce plastic bottles sold by Coca-Cola alone in 2023.

On a global basis the US consistently ranks in the top 2 or 3 countries worldwide. for annual total plastic waste production. Consensus estimates are hard to come by, but the EPA estimates that the US produces 34 million metric tons of consumer plastic waste annually, while non-US based sources rank current US production in the range of 43 million metric tons. China, India, Brazil and Indonesia round out the list of the top 5 highest plastic waste producing countries. globally.

In the US, the consumer plastic recycling rate has hovered around nine percent' for the past 8 years. Germany, Austria, and South Korea have some of the best plastic recycling rates in the world, at around 50%. The global average plastic recycling rate is around 13%.

The growing problem of plastic waste pollution reveals the far-reaching consequences of global dependence on disposable plastics and the resulting impact on planet Earth. Addressing this crisis

requires aggressive plastic waste mitigation efforts-reducing production. improving recycling. and designing materials that won·1 persist for centuries after use.

PLASTIC WASTE MITIGATION EFFORTS IN THE UNITED STATES:

At the state and local level, there is a broad patchwork of plastic waste regulations across the country. Since 20 I 0, at least 39 states have enacted legislation regarding microplastics. Seventeen states have enacted some form of single-use plastic ban, including items like plastic bags. straws. and Styrofoam. Some states empower localities to implement stricter measures. Iowa currently lacks statewide legislation specifically addressing microplastic pollution. It is among 8 other states that have pre-emptively blocked local governments from enacting their own plastic bag bans, though this is lightly enforced. Iowa City/ Coralville implemented an ordinance allowing retail businesses to impose a $.05 fee on single-use plastic bags at checkout in retail establishments in 2020. The city of Muscatine and Muscatine County have no such ordinances addressing plastic waste.

At the federal level, the US Congress took a big leap forward in addressing primary microplastics by passing the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015. This Act prohibits the manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of rinse-off cosmetics containing plastic microbeads. This was effective for the manufacturing of goods in mid 2017, and for sale of goods since July 2018. Canada. the UK and European Union implemented similar bans between 2017 and 2019.

The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act of 2020 expanded U.S. efforts to reduce marine debris and plastic pollution. It built on previous effbrts by improving waste management infrastructure, enhancing recycling innovation. and strengthening international cooperation to prevent ocean plastic waste. The Act also directed federal agencies to coordinate data collection and develop new cleanup technologies while supporting public education. It is the most comprehensive U.S. ocean-plastics lmv to date, committing the EPA to eliminating the release of plastic waste into the environment by 2040.

In 2022, the Biden Administration issued an order to phase out federal procurement of unnecessary single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations - including public lands and national parks - by 2035. This was partially reversed in February of this year when President Trump signed an executive order requiring government agencies to end the use of paper straws (in favor of plastic) and ensure that they are no longer provided within Federal buildings. (AP News, February 2025). In May 2025, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum signed an order that went much further in reversing the Biden-era initiative to phase out single-use plastics. The order stated that the rescission is consistent with the February executive order from President Trump "and ensures that Departmental operations are grounded in flexibility, science-based decision-making, and fiscal responsibility.''

In November of 2024, the US EPA released the '·National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution,•· a 74 page information piece outlining actions to protect communities from the impacts of plastic production and waste and detailing how government agencies, businesses, and communities can take additional action to prevent plastic pollution. In it the EPA identifies 6 primary initiatives including:

o        Reducing pollution from plastic production

o        Innovating material and product design improvements

e      Decreasing waste generation

e      Improving waste management

e     Improving capture and removal of plastic pollution

o        Minimizing impacts to waterways and the ocean through filtration and minimization of plastic load in water runoff

A bipa11isan bill known as The Microplastics Safety Act was proposed in July of this year. It would mandate the FDA to investigate the health risks of microplastics in food and water. focusing on potential impacts on children. reproductive health, along with detailing any associations between microplastics

exposures and cancer and other chronic illnesses. The Bill has not passed yet and is currently in committee. All things considered, the legislative activity of recent years signals a shift toward more rigorous governmental oversight in the US.

INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global authority on environmental issues within the United Nations system. In March 2022, UNEP introduced a resolution instructing constituent countries to begin negotiating a treaty to unify global regulations. The treaty is intended to be legally binding and would include measures to address all plastics entering the environment, though specifically targeting microplastics, and covering the full Ii fe-cycle of plastics from design, production, consumption. to disposal. The scope was to explicitly include plastic pollution in marine, freshwater, and land-based micro and nanoplastics. Negotiations began in mid-2022, and have been held biannually in the interval, but have thus far been unsuccessful in arriving at ratification. Key stumbling blocks involve disagreement over whether to cap plastic production at the manufacturing level vs focusing only on waste management and recycling at the post-consumer level. The go-forward

timeline for treaty negotiations is uncertain.

Beside, UNEP. the European Union has also taken a pioneering role in regulating microplastics. In October 2023, the European Commission enacted regulations which restrict the use of intentionally added microplastics in products. This includes synthetic polymer microparticles found in cosmetics, detergents, and fertilizers. The regulation is being phased in over several years with transitional periods extending to 2035 for certain product categories. To support compliance, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) introduced a repo11ing system requiring manufacturers and importers to disclose detailed information about m icroplastics in their products sta11ing in 2026.

Asian and Pacific Rim Countries like Japan and South Korea are implementing innovative consumer strategies. such as deposit-refund systems and ambitious recycling targets.

CONCLUSION:

Microplastics have become one of the most insidious and pervasive forms of pollution on Earth infiltrating every corner of the planet-from the deepest ocean trenches to the air we breathe and the food we eat. These microscopic fragments pose growing risks to ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. This is yet another global problem on which we need to work together to identify and implement solutions. rather than passing it on unfettered to our children and grandchildren. No single entity can tackle this challenge alone. To confront this crisis, governments, industries, and individuals must collaborate to reduce plastic production, redesign materials for circular use, improve waste management systems, and adopt cleaner technologies. International treaties and shared innovation are needed to coordinate global standards, universal monitoring, and national accountability. Just as the problem of microplastics knows no borders, the solutions must transcend borders--uniting collective action, policy reform, and personal responsibility.

• November 18, 2025 Rich Maynard