Goodbye to Glitter?

Want to help clean up the ocean? Then you might want to say goodbye to glitter. That’s what 19 preschools in the United Kingdom did last year. Now scientists are exploring the idea of a bigger ban. They hope it will reduce the amount of microplastics that leak into waterways. These tiny pieces of plastic wash down drains. They are not usually caught by filters.

Fish and other marine creatures often mistake these plastics for food. Sean Anderson is a professor at California State University, Channel Islands. He studies how plastics affect humans. He thinks awareness about microplastics is important. “It’s unlikely we’ll be able to clean up the oceans with all the stuff that’s in there,” he told TFK. “We need to be focusing on not making the problem any worse.”