Recycling can release huge quantities of microplastics, study finds

Scientists find high levels of microplastics in wastewater from unnamed UK plant – and in air surrounding facility

Recycling has been promoted by the plastics industry as a key solution to the growing problem of plastic waste. But a study has found recycling itself could be releasing huge quantities of microplastics.

An international team of scientists sampled wastewater from a state-of-the-art recycling plant at an undisclosed location in the UK. They found that the amount of microplastics released in the water amounted to 13% of the plastic processed.