The most alarming part? There’s no known way to remove them from soil once they’re there.

It’s a reminder that our plastic footprint goes deeper than we think, right into the ground that grows our food. 🌱

These microplastics are altering soil structure and chemistry, disrupting microbes and fungi, and could even affect crop growth and food quality. Some particles are so light they can become airborne, travelling far from farms and potentially influencing air quality and climate.

Around 12.5 million tonnes of plastic are used in farming every year, from mulch films to fertiliser coatings, and much of it breaks down into tiny fragments that remain in the soil.

It's right at the bottom, on the factsheet page.