Can we end our plastics addiction? We produce half a billion tons every year in a bid to make our lives easier. And now scientists are finding dozens of new, unexpected and unintended consequences.
Now microplastics are changing the weather too
Drastic plastic: Plastics are being carried through the air, affecting every country. Glossary
Insidious - Something which is gradually and secretly causing harm.
Microplastics - Microplastics are fragments of degraded plastic that are less than five millimetres in length. They are blown into the atmosphere and transported by ocean currents.
Abrasion - Rough scraping or wearing away.
Solar radiation - Energy produced by the sun.
Ivory - A hard white substance like bone that forms the tusks (long teeth) of elephants and some other animals.
United Nations - An international organisation focused on keeping peace. Its refugee agency, the UNHCR, aims to assist refugees around the world.