The microplastic pollution crisis was brought to the public’s attention last year, during an episode of Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet (see above).

In it, the legendary documentary maker warned: “For years we thought the oceans were so vast and the inhabitants so infinitely numerous that nothing we could do could have an effect upon them.

“But now we know that was wrong.”

Since then, we have been treated to a horrifying roll call of plastic facts: by 2050 there will be as much plastic in the ocean as fish; a million plastic bottles are bought around the  world every minute; a sperm whale found dead near Spain was found to have been killed by gastric shock after ingesting  29kg of plastic waste; microplastic from Scotland has been detected in Antarctica.

In short, plastic – specifically single-use plastic – is really starting to trouble us. Thankfully, though, the crisis has had one positive impact on our world: it has brought thousands of people together and united them in the pursuit of one common goal – saving our planet.

With this thought in mind, we have created our ultimate guide on how to quit plastic. Be sure to read it here.

Image: Peter Fogden / Unsplash

Why you should never flush your contact lenses down the toilet