The Plastic Diet: What You Eat And Don't Know

It's estimated that over a lifetime, we consume about 20 kg (44 lb) of microplastic. That's the equivalent of eating a credit card's worth of plastic every week, or a Lego brick's worth of plastic every month. In a year, that amounts to the plastic in a firefighter's helmet. At this rate of consumption, in a decade, we could be eating 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) in plastic, the equivalent of over two sizeable pieces of plastic pipe.

Plastic in drinking water

It is estimated that over a lifetime, we consume about 20 kg (44 lb) of microplastic. In a month, we ingest the weight of a 4x2 Lego brick in plastic, and in a year, the amount of plastic in a fireman's helmet. This may not sound like much, but it can add up. At this rate of consumption, in a decade, we could be eating 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) in plastic, the equivalent of over two sizable pieces of plastic pipe.

A 2019 study by WWF International concluded that people could be ingesting the equivalent of a credit card of plastic a week, mainly in plastic-infused drinking water but also via food like shellfish, which tends to be eaten whole so the plastic in their digestive systems is also consumed.

Plastic cards weighing 7 grams, which is equivalent to the amount of plastic that someone could eat in ten days, are displayed inside a tuna salad sandwich with a cup of milk in an illustration taken in Tokyo, Japan, in November 2020. Plastic buttons weighing 5g, equivalent to the amount of plastic that someone could eat in one week, have also been used to illustrate the amount of plastic we consume.

Plastic in food

We consume about 20kg of microplastic over a lifetime. This is the equivalent of eating a credit card's worth of plastic every week, or a 4x2 Lego brick's worth of plastic in a month. In a year, this amounts to the weight of a firefighter's helmet. At this rate of consumption, in a decade, we could be eating 2.5kg of plastic, or over two sizeable pieces of plastic pipe.

Plastic is consumed through plastic-infused drinking water and food such as shellfish, which are eaten whole, meaning the plastic in their digestive systems is also consumed.

In an illustration taken in Tokyo, Japan, in November 2020, plastic cards weighing 7 grams were displayed inside a tuna salad sandwich with a cup of milk. This is the equivalent of the amount of plastic that someone could eat in ten days. In March 2020, an illustration in Tokyo showed various plastic goods weighing 3.15 kilograms, the equivalent of the amount of plastic that someone could eat in ten years.

To avoid consuming plastic, it is important to reduce the use of single-use plastics, such as plastic straws, and to properly dispose of plastic waste to prevent it from ending up in the ocean and other ecosystems.

Plastic in shellfish

It is estimated that over a lifetime, we consume about 20 kg (44 lb) of microplastic. In a month, we ingest the weight of a 4x2 Lego brick in plastic, and in a year, the amount of plastic in a fireman's helmet. At this rate of consumption, in a decade, we could be eating 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) in plastic, the equivalent of over two sizable pieces of plastic pipe.

A 2019 study by WWF International concluded that people could be ingesting the equivalent of a credit card of plastic a week, mainly in plastic-infused drinking water but also via food like shellfish, which tends to be eaten whole so the plastic in their digestive systems is also consumed.

Shellfish are filter feeders, meaning they feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water. This makes them particularly vulnerable to consuming microplastics. As they are often eaten whole, the plastic in their digestive systems is also consumed by humans.

Plastic in sushi

Over a lifetime, we consume about 20 kg (44 lb) of microplastic. In a month, we ingest the weight of a 4x2 Lego brick in plastic, and in a year, the amount of plastic in a fireman's helmet. At this rate of consumption, in a decade, we could be eating 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) in plastic, the equivalent of over two sizeable pieces of plastic pipe.

A 2019 study by WWF International concluded that people could be ingesting the equivalent of a credit card of plastic a week, mainly in plastic-infused drinking water but also via food like shellfish, which tends to be eaten whole so the plastic in their digestive systems is also consumed.

In sushi, the equivalent of a month's worth of plastic consumption is represented by Lego bricks displayed on top of sushi rice. This may sound extreme, but it can easily represent the cumulative amount of microscopic pieces of plastic we consume every day.

Plastic in burgers

It is estimated that over a lifetime, we consume about 20 kg (44 lb) of microplastic. This is the equivalent of eating a credit card's worth of plastic every week, or a 4x2 Lego brick's worth of plastic in a month.

Plastic can enter our diets in a number of ways, including through the consumption of shellfish, which are often eaten whole, and therefore the plastic in their digestive systems is also consumed. Plastic can also enter our diets through plastic-infused drinking water.

One way that plastic may be entering our diets is through the consumption of burgers. While there is no specific information about the amount of plastic in burgers, it is possible that plastic particles could be present in the meat or other ingredients used to make burgers.

It is important to note that the presence of plastic in our diets is a serious issue that can have negative health consequences. While the amount of plastic in a single burger may not be significant, the cumulative effect of consuming plastic over time can be harmful. Therefore, it is important to take steps to reduce our exposure to plastic and to advocate for policies that reduce plastic pollution and promote sustainable alternatives.

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