Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Plastic waste comes in all shapes and sizes but if it’s managed irresponsibly it can damage the environment and have a negative impact on our planet. Some of the most harmful types of waste plastic for the environment and human health are micro and nanoplastics. This is due to their incredibly small sizes.
These miniscule materials are often formed by the breakdown of other plastic waste, whether naturally or during recycling and waste management processes. They can enter water sources, the air, and human and animal bodies. Businesses can also create microplastics and nanoplastics when managing many waste products they produce, usually without realising.
Understanding how and where microplastics may be created and working out ways to minimise the risk of production and exposure helps protect the environment and people. Discover the difference between microplastics and nanoplastics, how to reduce them in your operations, and ways they can be recycled.
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What are microplastics?
Microplastics are incredibly small pieces of plastic that are defined as bits less than 5mm long. They can either be created intentionally this small or formed by breaking away from a larger bit of plastic. Commonly microplastics appear during the breakdown and disposal of bigger bits of consumer plastic products and commercial and industrial waste.
Despite their small size, microplastics still take hundreds and thousands of years to degrade. They’re a pollutant that can spread far and wide without detection and it’s estimated there are more than 24 trillion pieces of microplastics in our oceans. Some contain carcinogenic or mutagenic chemicals that can seriously harm human and animal health.
What are nanoplastics?
Nanoplastics are very similar to microplastics except they’re even smaller. The definition of nanoplastics is normally those between 0.001 and 0.1 μm in size – so they’re not visible to the human eye (even under a simple microscope). They’re incredibly small particles of plastic that are almost indetectable except with specialist microscopes.
Knowledge about nanoplastics remains limited and is developing due to their small size. However, they’ve been detected across the world, most prominently in oceans. Sometimes the terms microplastics and nanoplastics are used interchangeably. They may contain a similar material makeup, and both are pollutants, but their size is the key differentiator.
Why are microplastics bad?
Microplastics are bad for the environment, health, and global ecosystems. Both micro and nanoplastics are so small that they’re hard to identify but easily spread through the air and water to reach all areas of the world. As a type of plastic, they take hundreds and even thousands of years to break down, which means they can remain in the environment for lifetimes.
They’re comprised of many complex chemicals that harm human and animal health. Nanoplastics are believed to be more toxicologically active than microplastics due to their smaller size and penetrative physical characteristics. Airborne exposure means humans and animals may breathe them in or absorb them through bloodstreams.
Research has linked humans ingesting and consuming microplastics and nanoplastics to cellular changes. Marine life studies have found evidence it can cause growth and delay development. The United Nations (UN) has also warned that the chemicals microplastics contain can lead to changes in human genetics, brain development, and reproduction.
How to reduce microplastic consumption
Avoiding microplastics and nanoplastics entirely is virtually impossible as they’re almost everywhere. You can take action to minimise the chance of exposure if you run a business or within your home. The main thing to do is cut back on your plastic use by switching to alternative materials where possible.
These are a few ways to try and reduce the risk of microplastic consumption within your business or household:
- Ditch disposable plastic coffee cups as plastic-lined cups may release nanoplastics into the drink
- Don’t heat anything in a plastic container, such as microwaving food in Tupperware, as heat exposure increases the shedding of plastic
- Avoid food-grade nylon as liners for baking pans in restaurants and commercial kitchens
- Serve tap water in restaurants and sell drinks in metal cans or glass bottles rather than plastic bottles in shops
- Don’t purchase fruit and veg with plastic stickers attached or wrapped in plastic wrapping
Ways to avoid nanoplastics
in your business
The easiest way to eliminate nanoplastics in your company is to avoid using any plastic items at all. Switch to other packaging materials, such as paper bags or glass bottles and jars if possible. Work with suppliers and packaging manufacturers that avoid plastic materials too. This may reduce the risk of forming microplastics.
Audit your current operations and find ways to reduce plastic waste and use across your organisation. It may differ depending on your industry, but these are a few ways to minimise the risk of nanoplastics in some businesses:
- Choose natural fabrics for furniture and furnishings, such as a wool carpet instead of a polyester one in hotels and restaurants
- Ensure any corporate workwear and uniforms are made from natural materials rather than full of plastics or with plastic linings
- Regularly and carefully clean any carpets, curtains, and furniture that may shed micro and nanoplastics to eliminate them from the atmosphere
- Provide PPE for any workers in factories, warehouses, and manufacturing plants where plastic products are produced
- Install a water filter to reduce the potential intake of nano and microplastics
How to dispose of microplastics
Microplastics and nanoplastics are often too small for businesses to notice and collect. If you have some very small shavings of plastic from manufacturing processes or broken products, you can store them with any other plastic waste your business produces – separate from other waste materials.
Arrange plastic waste collection with Business Waste and licensed waste carriers will remove it at an agreed day and time. We can provide free bins for your plastic waste – there are no rental or delivery fees, you only pay for collection. The plastic waste is then recycled and recovered and kept out of landfill.
Get a free quote for any type, size, and volume of commercial plastic waste collection from anywhere in the UK today. Call 0800 211 8390 or contact us online and one of our friendly experts can answer your queries, provide a bespoke price, and help dispose of plastic waste from your business responsibly.
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