What You Should Know

About Plastic

Every year the countries of the world produce more plastic, and there is no end in sight. Production. of plastic keeps growing.

The list below is composed by the Plastic Pollution Coalition. Let’s work every day to reduce our consumption of plastic. Never use plastic utensils, plastic bags or straws

• Plastic never goes away. It doesn’t break down; it only breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces. These microplastics and nanoplastics are harmful and are everywhere now, including in our bodies. 
• Plastic pollutes the environment, wildlife, and people.
• Plastic is not safe. Plastic leaches toxic chemicals and sheds plastic particles at all stages of its existence. 
• Plastic especially harms communities living near petrochemical and plastic infrastructure. 
• The more plastic companies make and we use, the more we contribute to pollution and climate change.
• Plastic was not designed to be recycled, and most plastic does not get recycled in the way we’ve been led by industry to believe.
• To solve the plastic pollution crisis, industries must stop producing so much plastic. Instead of single-use plastics, we need to use nontoxic reuse and refill systems and regenerative materials.
• Taking action on an individual level, using less plastic, and demanding policy action to hold producers accountable can help support the systemic changes to shift away from society’s reliance on plastics.

1. Ernie Mundell, “You might inhale 68,000 microplastics per day,” United Press International, July 31, 2025.
2. Sharon Udasin, “Humans may be inhaling 100 times more microplastics than previously assumed, scientists warn,” The Hill, July 30, 2025.
3. Yue Li, Le Tao, Qiong Wang, Fengbang Wang, Gang Li and Maoyong Song, “Potential Health Impact of Microplastics: A Review of Environmental Distribution, Human Exposure, and Toxic Effects,” Environment & Health, August 10, 2023.
4. Julia Shumway, “Oregon’s Bynum, Merkley and Florida Republicans target microplastics with new bill,” Oregon Capital Chronicle, July 17, 2025.