Studies find red, blue and green plastic decomposes into microplastic particles faster than plainer colours

Retailers are being urged to stop making everyday products such as drinks bottles, outdoor furniture and toys out of brightly coloured plastic after researchers found it degrades into microplastics faster than plainer colours.

Red, blue and green plastic became “very brittle and fragmented”, while black, white and silver samples were “largely unaffected” over a three-year period, according to the findings of the University of Leicester-led project.

The scale of environmental pollution caused by plastic waste means that microplastics, or tiny plastic particles, are everywhere. Indeed, they were recently found in human testicles, with scientists suggesting a possible link to declining sperm counts in men.

  • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    I think it’s bad to have more micro plastics rather than less, at any given point in time

    • pearsaltchocolatebar
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      6 months ago

      You’re still going to have the same amount in the long run, though. All this is doing is delaying the inevitable.

      • DaPorkchop_@lemmy.ml
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        6 months ago

        Sure, but the impact would be less bad if you have the same amount spread over a longer time.

        • Traister101@lemmy.today
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          6 months ago

          It’s the same impact. It’s the same amount of microplastic it just takes longer. If I give you the choice of 100 beans today or 1 bean each day for 100 days it’s still 100 beans. The total impact is identical it just takes longer.

      • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        By that logic, we may as well burn all of our trash, because eventually it will be pollution so why not get it over with now?

        • pearsaltchocolatebar
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          6 months ago

          Burning and breaking down are two different things.

          Microplastics will last for thousands of years, so unless the less colorful plastics take thousands of years to break down to the point of bright ones, the difference is irrelevant.

          • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            It’s just so silly though. You’re dismissing the uncountable number of people absorbing unknowable amounts of micro plastics over the next few decades as unimportant.

            Not only do we want to reduce exposure in the near term, we may find a way to effectively remove micro plastics from the environment in the future, so no, it’s not settled that releasing as many micro plastics as possible is fine as long as it would happen eventually anyhow