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
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.
Atmosphere - The layer of gases surrounding a planet or moon, held in place by that planet's gravity. Small planets and moons have weak gravitational fields, and therefore only a very thin atmosphere.
Solar radiation - Energy produced by the sun.
United Nations - An international organisation focused on keeping peace. Its refugee agency, the UNHCR, aims to assist refugees around the world.
Treaty - A formal agreement, usually between two or more countries.
Binding - An agreement or promise that cannot be broken, or the cover of a book that holds it together.