What are microplastics?

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles which can pollute the ocean. They come from sources including personal care cosmetic products, the breakdown of large plastic waste, and synthetic fibers from clothing.

Cosmetic microbeads only make up a small proportion (between 0.01% and 4%) of microplastics entering the ocean.

But they are an avoidable environmental problem, and they are the source of microplastics about which most is known.