Plastic quietly passes through our hands daily—bottled water, energy drinks, grocery bags, you name it. Its story, which began in 1950, has dramatically reshaped human life.
Plastics revolutionized medicine. Before plastics existed, surgeries were risky, and sterilizing equipment was tedious. Today, disposable syringes, IV bags, and gloves provide safer care, even in remote areas. Plastic has also transformed housing and technology. Materials like PVC pipes and weatherproof roofing made homes more efficient and affordable. In the digital age, phones and laptops rely on plastic insulation and casings, making them lighter, cheaper, and safer. Food and beverage packaging has become more hygienic and efficient. From sealed snack packs to takeaway trays, plastic helped preserve freshness and improved secure food and water access.
The Broken Promise of Recycling
Despite these benefits, plastic waste has spiraled out of control. According to a 2017 study led by Roland Geyer, a specialist in the ecological impact of plastics and professor at UC Santa Barbara Bren, over 9 billion tons of plastic have been produced since 1950—equivalent to 25,000 Empire State Buildings—yet only 9% has been recycled, and 12% incinerated. A staggering 79% has piled up in landfills or the natural environment. Single-use plastics account for about one-third of all plastic waste—more than waste from construction, consumer goods, and electronics combined.
Recycling remains limited—companies often argue it’s too costly and complex. They claim that plastics require separate processing, sorting is labor-intensive, and material quality declines with each cycle, making virgin plastic the cheaper and more convenient option. According to the EPA, U.S. plastic recycling rose from 2% to 9% between 1990 and 2018, but landfill waste more than doubled, and about 75% of plastic waste still goes to landfills. Meanwhile, solar and wind power soared, smartphones became essential, and we began reusing rockets. I often wonder: If we can achieve all this, why does recycling plastic remain so out of reach?
Globally, 400 million tons of virgin plastic are produced yearly—about the weight of 6 billion adults. Up to half is used for single-use items that quickly become waste. A plastic bottle can take up to 450 years to decompose. A grocery bag? It will take about 20 years to start. These items linger in landfills, rivers, and oceans, causing long-term harm.
The Harm Plastic Causes to Life in Our Oceans
A 2016 Rochester Institute of Technology study found that about 11 million pounds of plastic enter Lake Michigan annually—the equivalent of dumping a truckload every hour into a lake relied on for drinking water, recreation, and livelihoods. According to the UN Environment Programme, the Mississippi River, just west and south of you, sees 75% of its litter made of plastic—plastic that travels thousands of miles, impacting communities, farmland, and wildlife all along its path to the Gulf of Mexico.
This local pollution connects directly to a global crisis: There are roughly 100 million tons of plastic in the ocean—the equivalent of the weight of 1.6 billion adults. As plastic breaks down into microplastics and nanoplastics, it becomes even more dangerous. Plastic ingestion reduces the stomach capacity of marine animals, leading to starvation. According to UNESCO, over one million seabirds and more than 100,000 marine mammals and turtles—such as dolphins, whales, seals, and sea turtles—die annually from plastic-related causes.
The Threat Microplastics Pose to Our Health
Microplastics are now part of the human food chain. Found in seafood, salt, water, and even the air, they also enter crops through leachate from landfills. These particles degrade the soil, penetrate crops, and are absorbed into vegetables, grains, and animal feed. Microplastics have been detected in the lungs, bloodstreams, and even placentas.
According to a 2021 study by the University of Newcastle, people may ingest between 0.1 and 5 grams of microplastics per week, depending on diet, drinking water, and environmental exposure. At the upper end of that range—5 grams—that’s equivalent to swallowing a credit card every week. In a year, that adds up to 52 credit cards. That’s a full deck of plastic building up in your body—circulating through your bloodstream, settling in your organs, and becoming part of your everyday biology.
The health risks go beyond the plastic itself. Microplastics and nanoplastics carry toxic chemicals like BPA, phthalates, PFAS, flame retardants, and heavy metals, ingredients added during manufacturing that aren’t tightly bound to the plastic. According to a 2023 study by an international team of experts in environmental health, endocrinology, and toxicology—from institutions in Pakistan, China, and Poland—these chemicals can interfere with hormone-producing organs, including those involved in reproduction, growth, and how the body handles stress and metabolism. As a result, they’ve been linked to a range of hormone-related health problems, such as fertility challenges, early physical development, and changes in energy, mood, weight, and temperature regulation.
Nanoplastics are even more concerning. Because of their tiny size and large surface area, they can enter the body more easily and interact more deeply with cells, delivering a higher load of these harmful chemicals. This raises the risk of weakening the immune system, damaging organs, and causing long-term effects on reproductive health.
A 2024 study led by Leonardo Trasande, a medical doctor and professor at NYU, found that plastic-related diseases cost Americans $250 billion in 2018 alone—enough to provide clean water and sanitation to everyone on Earth for two years, potentially preventing waterborne diseases like cholera, dysentery, and typhoid, and saving millions of lives in vulnerable communities.
Scientists have only recently begun understanding how microplastics affect human health. But the early signs are alarming. The longer we wait to act, the greater the risks—individually and collectively.
Turning the Tide on Plastic Waste Starts with You and Me
Plastic pollution is projected to rise sharply in the next five years. By 2050, plastic waste could outweigh fish in the ocean. Harm to ecosystems and human health is accelerating. We are at a critical juncture, and urgent action is needed. Supporting extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws and the Global Plastics Treaty is vital, but we must begin with a simple first step: refuse plastic when better alternatives exist.
In the U.S., the average person generates 286 pounds of plastic waste each year—the highest in the world. That’s about the weight of three fully packed large suitcases. So yes, small actions can go a long way.
- Plastic bottles: Use a refillable bottle and save at least 150 bottles/year. This prevents 25 million microplastic particles from entering the environment and keeps 8,000 liters of water clean, enough to irrigate crops for two families for six months, protecting soil health and making meals safer and healthier.
- Plastic bags: Use a reusable tote to save at least 300 bags/year. This prevents lightweight plastic from blowing into lakes and rivers, where it can entangle or choke 100 seabirds, turtles, and otters that nest, swim, and forage along Great Lakes shorelines.
- To-go containers: Carry a reusable container and avoid at least 100 containers annually. This keeps 2.5 pounds of plastic out of landfills and prevents 25 million microplastic particles from entering Lake Michigan, protecting hundreds of fish that support the lake’s food web.
Whether you already avoid plastic, do so occasionally, or plan to start, every step is a sign of commitment, and it matters. Each decision to reuse, refuse, or rethink reduces demand and lessens harm to ourselves, our communities, and the ecosystems we depend on. The plastic crisis is human-made, but so is the solution. Let’s choose to be the generation that chooses better.
Reader Question
What everyday plastic-free switch will you commit to—or take further—starting today?