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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Katharine Gammon

California wants to eradicate microplastics. Will a new strategy be enough?

A seagull stands next to a discarded surgical gown in a trash pit at Recology in San Francisco, California.
A seagull stands next to a discarded surgical gown in a trash pit at Recology in San Francisco, California. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Microplastics can be found everywhere, from waterways to fish to inside the human body’s soft tissues. And it’s only getting worse – 11m metric tons of plastic enter the planet’s oceans each year, an amount that is expected to triple by 2040.

California is trying to get ahead of the problem, becoming the first US state to put in place a comprehensive plan for tackling microplastics. The roadmap of 22 actions is focused on preventing plastic particles from getting into the environment, intercepting plastics pollution and educating the public about the problem.

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