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Biodegradable instead of microplastics

What is microplastic and where does it come from?

Plastic parts that are smaller than five millimeters and are barely visible to the human eye are referred to as microplastics. Due to the increasing plastic pollution, the amount of microplastics in the environment is also increasing. The problems this causes are very difficult to identify and relatively unexplored.

With regard to its origin, microplastics can be primary (Type A and Type B) and secondary microplastics to be grouped. While type A is part of a product, e.g. abrasives in cosmetics, type B arises from the use of products, e.g. abrasion from tires or synthetic fibers that are released when washing textiles. Secondary microplastics are created by fragmentation of larger plastic parts through weathering (temperature changes, UV radiation, microorganisms, oxidation or mechanical stress). Sources of plastic pollution are not only direct littering, but also landfills or agricultural applications such as the spreading of sewage sludge, which contains high levels of microplastic particles.

Example of artificial grass

Microplastics on artificial turf and sports fields

Many will not be aware of this, but artificial turf on our sports fields are huge sources of microplastic emissions. With artificial turf, a special rubber granulate is used as bedding. This rubber granulate consists of small plastic particles that are sprinkled into the artificial turf surface. Due to the weather, wind, rain, etc., this rubber granulate is removed from the artificial turf and thus ends up in the environment as microplastics.

A study by ICF and Eunomia for the European Commission assumes that 18.000 to 72.000 tons of microplastic emissions are caused by artificial turf every year. With more than 50.000 artificial turfs laid in the EU, this amounts to an annual loss of between 350 and 1.400 kg per artificial turf.

Where can you find microplastics?

Rivers carry a large part of the plastic and microplastics into the seas, where the plastic is further broken down. one Study According to Southampton's National Oceanography Centre, there are 12 to 21 million tonnes of microplastics floating within the first 200m of the Atlantic Ocean. How much is found in the deep sea and on the seabed is still unknown. However, since most types of plastic are denser than seawater, it can be assumed that there is much more to be found on the seabed. One Eunomia study on plastic in the sea assumes that 94% of all plastic waste can be found on the seabed.

But microplastics are not only found in the sea. Because through the microfibers of textiles, many of these small particles also get into the air. The Alfred Wegener Institute has even found microplastic pieces in the snow in the Swiss Alps and in the Arctic.

Treating our wastewater leaves sewage sludge, which is a nutrient-rich fertilizer for our farmland. The direct release of microplastics on the ground is the main reason for the 4-23 times higher accumulation of microplastics in terrestrial compared to aquatic systems.

What are the consequences for microplastic pollution?

Swim in the oceans of the world according to estimates over 150 million tons of plastic and about 12 million tons are added every year. This amount will triple in the next 20 years if current trends continue. It takes 300 to 450 years for plastic to break down in the sea. However, it remains as a microplastic and will probably stay there forever.

Because of its surface properties, microplastics act like a magnet for environmental toxins. A hundred times higher concentrations of environmental toxins can be measured on the plastic surface than in the surrounding seawater. The microplastic particles are then ingested with the pollutants by marine organisms. Microplastics that are ingested with food have already been detected in seals, fish, mussels and smaller organisms. These pollutants can be released again in the gastrointestinal tract and have an impact on the organism. The pollutants in plastic affect our hormone system and thus physical and mental development. That is why they are particularly dangerous for children.

However, the direct effects of microplastics are still completely unexplored. But even without scientific knowledge, it is clear that plastic has no place in the human body. If the particles are small enough, they can also get into the blood via the intestine and thus penetrate every part of the body.

According to Study According to the WWF, every person consumes an average of five grams of plastic per week, which corresponds to the weight of a credit card.

What can be done against microplastics?

The waste stream. The three "V's". Reduce, avoid and improve.

Everyone can personally contribute to a microplastic-reduced environment. These are simple things like using reusable packaging instead of single-use. Less driving and thus less tire wear is of course also a contribution to environmental protection (apart from greenhouse gas emissions). The correct disposal of plastic should of course also be a matter of course. Plastic has no place in nature!

However, critical changes need to happen on a larger scale to curb plastic entering the oceans and the environment. The best solution for this would be to do without plastic altogether (in Austria one measure for this is that Plastic bag ban). But this will not be possible everywhere. Reusable solutions can make a significant contribution to reducing plastic. As a result, the recycling of plastic products into new plastic products is important for a functioning and sustainable circular economy. Downcycling, ie recycling plastic bottles into clothing, for example, does not improve the problem. Nevertheless, there will be areas where avoiding or reducing plastic is not possible. In this case, an attempt should be made to switch to bioplastics, such as the natural plastic from NaKu. Because bioplastic is not only more climate and environmentally friendly in production, but also biodegradable. In the microplastic problem, this property is particularly important, because the entire plastic is broken down during decomposition and harmful microplastic parts do not get into the environment at all.

Therefore: Take NaKu or leave it!