Mitigating microplastic pollution

More than half of waste released in a given year contains plastic materials. About 10,000 metric tons of plastic enter the Great Lakes every year, and another 8 million goes into the ocean. While plastic never decomposes, it does break down into much smaller — but no less environmentally hazardous — components called microplastics. As these pollutants enter water supplies and marine environments, they create more profound problems for ecological and human health.