By Patricia Hynes, WILPF member and Boston Branch associate
Environmental and Health Crises: The Role of Microplastics
Microplastics—tiny particles smaller than five millimeters that result from the breakdown of plastics—have now infiltrated every corner of the planet, from the highest point of the Himalayas to the deepest depths of the sea and even into the snow of Antarctica. They permeate all ocean layers, are frequently mistaken for zooplankton, and are consumed by fish. As a result, people in coastal countries and islands who rely heavily on the sea for food are ingesting fish contaminated with microplastics.
Agricultural fields are also polluted with plastic through the use of contaminated sewage sludge, irrigation water, and plastic films to suppress weeds. These materials break down into microplastics and enter streams and rivers, ultimately reaching the ocean.
Scientists have recently detected microplastics in human blood, breast milk, arteries, lungs, testicles, brains, and placentas, raising serious concerns about human health.
A 2024 study found that 99% of seafood samples from stores and West Coast fishing boats contained microplastics. Plastics—made from oil, gas, and toxic chemicals and largely produced in low-income communities of color in Texas and Louisiana—are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. The idea of plastic recycling is largely a myth: only 5–6% of plastic is recycled in the U.S. as of 2021, though plastics have been around for a century.
For decades, the US and other wealthy countries have exported plastic waste to low-income nations—an environmental injustice. In over 25 developing countries, people burn plastic for cooking and heating, making plastic pollution a daily health issue. Women, often responsible for household tasks, face disproportionate exposure to toxic fumes. Smoke from chimneys in crowded slums contaminates people, water sources, soil, and crops.
Plastics and Profit: The Relentless Expansion of the Plastics Industry
When I first discovered that my lightweight winter jacket was filled with plastic flakes, I thought, “Great—recycling plastic instead of throwing it away.” But I have since learned, as Judith Enck (author of The Problem with Plastics) and other critics argue, that reducing our use of plastic remains the most effective action to reverse runaway pollution. While some plastics can be reused, unlike materials such as wood, paper, metal, or glass, they are typically “down-cycled” at best—like the filling in my jacket—before ultimately ending up in landfills, incinerators, or being dumped in developing countries.
Invented a century ago, plastic has become ubiquitous—rising from about 2 million tons produced annually in 1950 to over half a billion tons today, with projections that it will triple by 2060. Plastics are derived from fossil fuels, which are converted into chemical components like ethylene and propylene—the building blocks of plastic. Initially manufactured from nylon and PVC, plastics gained popularity during World War II and later surged as the middle class embraced single-use products such as straws, coffee cups, and water bottles.
As renewable technologies begin to replace fossil fuels, oil and gas corporations are aggressively promoting plastics—to the point that greenhouse gas emissions from plastics are on track to surpass those from coal. Due to the many toxic chemicals involved in plastic production and use, plastics are now linked to a rise in non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, reproductive cancers, and cardiovascular diseases.
The plastics industry aims to account for half of global oil and gas demand by 2050—unless countries worldwide reverse the failed 2025 Plastics Convention, an uncertain prospect.
Taking Action: From Plastic Pollution to Climate Justice
Take action now—stop using single-use plastics. This action would reduce throwaway plastic, lower greenhouse gas emissions, limit exposure to toxic chemicals, and decrease ocean pollution. Avoid plastic food packaging, as chemicals can transfer into your food.
Advocate for single-use plastic bans at every level. Push leaders and lawmakers to pause new manufacturing facilities and enact legislation to protect oceans. Surveys show that the public—across party lines—supports a pause in new manufacturing facilities and legislation to protect oceans from further plastic pollution.
Use guides from Beyond Plastics to help Meals on Wheels, restaurants, and dry cleaners reduce disposable plastic use. Encourage organizations to join as affiliates and adopt the recommended model legislation to address the issue.
Women are leading the charge against plastics. Author Judith Enck recounts the stories of nearly a dozen women—some from Cancer Alley and the Gulf Coast—whose relentless activism has blocked the entry of plastic industries into their neighborhoods.
Plastics—the “terrible debris of progress”—create immense environmental injustice. Join the movement to stop this juggernaut—demand change, use your influence, and take action now.
