Trying to go through life without plastic is pretty tough but here’s something new to consider - it turns out that brightly colored plastic has a faster rate of degradation than plain colors. Increasingly we are finding that microplastics are turning up everywhere, including in us - a recent study found them “in human testicles, with scientists suggesting a possible link to declining sperm counts in men.” So even small decreases in the speed at which plastic degrades into microplastics could be important.
A scientist involved in the study commented how they had always been struck by the colorful nature of microplastics found in beach sand and this different rate of decay may be behind it. This finding has implications for the manufacturing of everything from chip bags to outdoor furniture. Not only are plainer colors (black, white and silver) more durable but plastic recycling without a wide variety of colors being used would reduce creating a recycled plastic in an unappealing colour.
Something to think about the next time you are contemplating buying an item either made of plastic or in plastic packaging.