Can you believe that you’re consuming plastic equivalent to a credit card size every month? That’s unacceptable, right? But it’s a hard reality! Right now, tiny plastic particles less than the size of a rice grain are floating in the air, found on water bodies, and even on your meal plate. And they are called microplastics, found almost everywhere. 

A shocking fact is that the global weight of microplastics is increasing by approximately 3% annually. They are invisible to the eyes but can give a load of trouble to the earth and living beings.  

In 2025, India is watching out for this emerging issue and is trying to make a difference. This blog looks at where they come from, why we should care, and how India is cutting costs in 2025.

What are Microplastics?

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic, usually less than 5 millimeters in size. That’s about as tiny as a sesame seed. They are too small to see, but they are found just about everywhere, in water, in the soil, in the air, and even in food. Microplastics are categorised into two general groups:

1. Primary Microplastics: These are produced small on purpose. They find their way into face scrubs, body washes, and some toothpastes in tiny bead form. They also result from artificial materials such as polyester or nylon, which shed microscopic plastic fibres every time we do laundry.

2. Secondary Microplastics: These are created when big plastic objects such as bags, bottles, or packaging items deteriorate over time into fragments. They may occur as they come into contact with sunlight, wind, or rain.

When released, these small fragments of plastic are suspended in water as well as in the air. They are carried away by winds, washed into rivers, or buried underground. Since  those microplastics are minute in size, it is extremely difficult to get rid of them from the environment. They are also consumed by fish and birds and even become a part of the food chain in humans.

Where Do Microplastics in India Originate?

India inherits microplastics from a variety of everyday sources:

• Beauty Products and Cosmetics

Scrubbing products in face washes and scrubs usually contain plastic beads. A close investigation discovered that nearly half of face cleansers contain microplastics.

• Synthetic Washing of Clothes

Washing polyester and nylon clothes releases thousands of microfibres per wash. Microfibres flow down drains and mix with rivers.

• Tyres Used on Roads

Tyres get worn when you drive, and plastic and rubber-like small particles may be lost from tyres due to friction towards the road and pollute the land.

• Plastic Dump Site

Plastic dumped on fields and roads disintegrates over time into microplastics. Overloading the dump yards may lead to the use of more land for dumping and an increase in the amount of microplastics.

• Wastewater Treatment Plants

Sewage filters cannot trap the smallest pieces of plastic that flow into rivers. Also, there is no specific filtration process to separate microplastics in sewage systems.

Research states that microplastics penetrate as deep as Indian lakes and riverbeds, which affects the fish, birds, and plants in the area.

Why Microplastics are Harmful To the Environment:

It affects the environment in many ways and collapses the ecosystem, such as

• Impact on Aquatic life: Fish and shellfish ingest microplastics, which remain in their system and damage their capability to develop and reproduce.

• Degradation of Soil: Implemented in crop fields, microplastics can be toxic to earthworms and soil fungi on which plants depend.

• Carry and Store Chemicals: Microplastics absorb contaminants and deposit them in water or land.

• Airborne Dust: Tiny plastic particles stay in suspension in the air and penetrate deep into the lungs when inhaled.

Why Microplastics Are Harmful To People's Health

• Consume Them Unknowingly: Small pieces are present in table salt, fish, processed food, and bottled water.

• Inhaling Them: Indoor dust may contain microplastics that are stressful to the lungs.

• Chemicals Released in the Body: The plastics release chemicals that can be harmful to the hormones and weaken the immune system.

• Storage for Long Periods in Organs: Some of the microplastics are extremely small and can travel and reach the liver, heart, and other organs.

Scientists are still studying the full effects, yet preliminary observations indicate that medical impacts may include digestive tract irritation, breathing difficulties, and immune response.

India’s Research and Sustainable Solutions 2025

India has begun to combat microplastics with a range of innovative approaches and technologies.

• River studies indicate that microplastics occur daily, even after water treatment.

• Wastewater improvements, such as the use of biochar filters or sand filtration, can effectively eliminate most plastic pieces before the water is released.

• New technologies undergoing trial involve treating plastic waste to convert it into graphene or employing heat systems for safe destruction.

• Filters and membranes made of nanomaterials are being tested in laboratories with enormous success in destroying plastics at the microscopic scale.

• Experiments at premier research centres are trying smart gels and other chemical reactions to encapsulate and degrade microplastic fragments.

• People have also risen up. Community efforts use cleanups near rivers and beaches to collect plastic and prevent future damage. 

Policies and Rules in 2025

India is taking regulatory measures to control microplastics by applying specific rules and regulations.

1. Plastic microbead bans hovered over cosmetics, in line with internal action already in motion.

2. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has raised red flags over microplastics entering water bodies and directed inspections.

3. India is developing regulations to restrict the movement of plastic through sewage, soil, and the food chain.

4. New legislation under the plastic waste rule makes businesses more likely to use less plastic and manage it well at the outset.

5. Efforts today involve better managing rivers, reducing plastic waste, and disposing of it more safely.

What You Can Do

We can all contribute to ending microplastic pollution in easy ways. Begin by not using plastic microbeads, and choose soaps and scrubbers made from natural ingredients instead. During laundry, use microfiber filters to prevent small plastic fibres from going down with the water. Refrain from using single-use plastics by using cloth pouches, glass jars, or metal containers. 

You can also participate in cleanup campaigns and enrol in beach or riverside collections to prevent plastic waste from entering nature. Enable improved technology by getting your community or organisations to install more refined filters in drainage systems.

Wrapping Up

Microplastics are small, but their threat in India is significant. They can damage wildlife, soil, water, and human health. But collectively, through intelligent laws, improved filtering systems, community participation, and small everyday changes, you can minimise this danger.

All choices matter. Opt for reusable bags, wash your clothes more efficiently, and avoid using cosmetics that contain microplastics. With small things multiplied across India, you can prevent microplastics from damaging the future. It is time to take action and reach out to Banyan Nation, India’s leading integrated plastic recycling unit, to save our environment from microplastics as much as possible.