Why aren’t microplastics banned?

Why Aren’t Microplastics Banned?

⚕️ MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any changes to your health regimen, diet, or supplement use, especially if you have existing medical conditions or take medications. The information presented here should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Despite growing evidence of harm, microplastics are not globally banned. This isn’t because they haven’t been shown to be harmful. Rather, it’s because the regulatory, economic, and technical barriers to banning microplastics are nearly insurmountably vast. It’s absurdly difficult to identify paths to get microplastics banned. Plastics are basically essential for our everyday lives, and trying to reduce their use would have unmeasurable economic impacts. This article discusses, at a high-level, why it would be nearly impossible to ban microplastics, and what would need to change to make it happen.

Plastic Ubiquity and Source Complexity

Microplastics are everywhere, in the oceans, soil, air, food. They’re also a part of nearly everything [3–5]. Some microplastics are actually even manufactured directly (called primary microplastics) while others are byproducts of degradation (secondary microplastics) [1, 6]. Attempting to reduce microplastics via regulation means going up against a staggering number of industries.

These industries include the manufacture, production, and distribution of synthetic textiles, such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic. This includes not just clothing, but bedding, furniture fabric, vehicle fabric, carpeting, blinds, accessories, and more. Next time that you’re grabbing clothes, check the tags and see how much of what you wear is synthetic and plastic-based [7]. 

On the topic of vehicles, nowadays, many parts are made of plastic. Importantly, synthetic tires account for a significant amount of microplastic pollution into both waterways and the air [7-8]. The air is full of microplastics, both primary and secondary, as a result of industrial production, and tire and break dust [7].

Moreover, significant portions of the cosmetics and personal care products industries intentionally add microplastics to their products. Many abrasives used in toothpaste, face wash, body wash, etc. include microplastic products [1,9].  

Understandably, a significant source of microplastic creation is from the manufacturing industry. For any manufactured plastic, microplastics are created in the sourcing of raw materials, the manufacturing process itself, in the packaging and distribution of the product, in the product’s use, and in its ultimate discarding, whether to recycling, compost, or landfill. Stop reading this for a few seconds and think about the sheer scale of this problem [7]. 

No single regulatory ban can limit microplastics.

Microplastic Regulation Is Still Fragmented

There’s no global consensus on how to define or regulate microplastics. And, it’s fair to suggest that one may not have much of an impact, anyways. Just compare it to the continued output of garbage in waste into the world, despite environmental policies that have been enacted for decades. One of the foundational issues with regulating microplastics, outside of the economic impact, is that the definitions vary by particle size (especially for nanoplastics) and by source type [10–11]. That lack of standardization complicates definitions, detections, and regulations. 

On the topic of detection, that in itself is an issue. Microplastics are difficult to monitor due to their size, polymer diversity, and presence in mixed environmental matrices [1, 12]. Scientific studies often quantify microplastics via microscopes, while others use extremely expensive equipment. Moreover, adding nanoplastics to the mix makes detection even more complicated. Many countries lack the infrastructure to track microplastic and nanoplastic pollution in air, water, or soil in real time. Managing the issue would require a dedicated, global and individual effort.

The Economic and Political Constraints Of Banning Microplastics

As alluded to above, outright microplastic bans threaten key industries, including textiles, cosmetics, automotive, agriculture, and more. Banning plastics or demanding costly substitutes could ripple through global supply chains and ultimately lower the quality of life for billions of people.

The transition away from plastics also requires costly upgrades to manufacturing and waste systems, especially in developing countries.

We Still Don’t Know Enough About The Impact of Microplastics

While the health risks of microplastics are increasingly studied, we don’t yet have the epidemiological depth or mechanistic precision needed for high-confidence regulation [1, 13]. Similarly, ecological impact assessments, especially for soil and food systems, are still evolving.

Microplastics interact with heavy metals, organic pollutants, and microbial systems in ways that are complex and context-dependent [7, 14]. Regulatory agencies are often hesitant to act without clearer cause-effect links.

What’s Been Done So Far To Limit Microplastics?

A few countries, geographies, and industries have begun to focus on reducing microplastics. For example, the EU has banned the intentional addition of microplastics in cosmetics, detergents, and fertilizers [1]. There are also numerous recycling and waste management reforms that are headed in the right direction [1, 14]. Lastly, individuals and organizations are investing in research and development efforts to detect, filter, and break down microplastics in water and food systems [13]. 

Unfortunately, due to the scope of the problem and potential implications of reform, progress is slow. 

Why A Microplastic Ban Still Feels Out of Reach

Ultimately, microplastics aren’t banned because they’re too widespread, they’re difficult to detect and measure, economic forces strongly resist regulation, government policy is slow and ineffective, and the actual impact of microplastics, as measured scientifically, is difficult to assess. It’s for these reasons that Deplasto exists. To understand that while the scope and challenge may seem insurmountable, there’s actual many simple adjustments and commitments that you can make each day to manage the situation for yourself. At scale, this can lead to significant and long-term changes. 

And Where They Go From There

Although governments, corporations, and other institutions haven’t fully recognized the scope of microplastic-induced biological and environmental damage, health-oriented individuals, like yourself, can start taking action today. While it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to avoid microplastics, there are many small, simple actions that you can take each day to lower the amount of microplastics you consume. This is why we developed the Deplasto platform. 

Our platform, consisting of a scientifically-backed wellness supplement, an app for tracking daily microplastic intake, and lifestyle recommendations is intended to help you avoid microplastics. Our wellness supplement is formulated to support your body’s natural detoxification defenses, including oxidative stress management, cellular repair, and antioxidant support. Our microplastic intake calculator is designed to show you an estimate of your daily exposure, with every datapoint backed by scientific studies, to help you understand how you can best avoid microplastics. Lastly, given that it’s nearly impossible to completely avoid microplastic exposure, we have a plethora of lifestyle recommendations designed to help you make small changes for big impacts. 

Overall, we believe that the best way to eliminate microplastics begins with you and the changes you make to your daily life. Over time, collectively, we can make a significant difference in your health and the environment.

Sources: 

1. Health Effects of Microplastic Exposures- Current Issues and Perspectives in South Korea
2. Microplastics- the hidden danger
3. Macrogenomes reveal microbial-mediated microplastic degradation pathways in the porcine gut- a hope for solving the environmental challenges of microplastics
4. Internal and external microplastic exposure in young adults- A pilot study involving 26 college students in Changsha, China
5. A multi-levels analysis to evaluate the toxicity of microplastics on aquatic insects- A case study with damselfly larvae (Ischnura elegans)
6. Microplastics in human blood- Polymer types, concentrations and characterisation using μFTIR
7. Effect of microplastics deposition on human lung airways- A review with computational benefits and challenges
8. Micro- and Nanoplastics Produced from Textile Finishes- A Review
9. Microplastic content of over-the-counter toothpastes – a systematic review
10. Developmental toxicity and mechanism of polychlorinated biphenyls 126 and nano-polystyrene combined exposure to zebrafish larvae
11. Microplastics role in cell migration and distribution during cancer cell division
12. It matters how we measure – Quantification of microplastics in drinking water by μFTIR and μRaman
13. Microplastics- an often-overlooked issue in the transition from chronic inflammation to cancer
14. Microplastics and human health- unveiling the gut microbiome disruption and chronic disease risks