Sweden is praised for its waste management and its commitment to the development of the UN's global plastics agreement. At the same time, large amounts of plastic are leaking into Swedish waters. Experts warn that plastic emissions – where microplastics, overflow and sewage sludge all contribute to pollution – continue to threaten Swedish aquatic environments.
They are everywhere, in the sea and on land, in animals and plants and in the human body. Twenty years since the term ‘microplastics’ was defined in a scientific paper; the prestigious publication Science has taken on the task of examining where we are today and how we can tackle the growing problems caused by microplastics.