Microplastic in the Environment 2015 - Brochure

Scientific studies have shown that plastics greatly contribute to the littering of oceans. In marine protection, plastic particles with a diameter smaller than 5 mm are referred to as microplastics. These can be secondary fragments created by the breaking up of larger pieces of plastic such as packaging materials, or fibres that are washed out of textiles. They can also be primary plastic particles produced in microscopic sizes. These include granulates used in cosmetics and in other applications.