Colored plastics break down into microplastics faster than neutral colors like black, white, and silver.
The study suggests avoiding colored plastics in short-lived products to reduce environmental impact.
UV radiation causes the decomposition of colored plastics, leading to microplastic formation.
Researchers Call for Phasing Out Colored Plastics Due to Faster Decomposition.
Researchers from the University of Leicester and the University of Cape Town have discovered that brightly colored plastics such as red, blue, and green degrade into microplastics more quickly than neutral colors. In a three-year study, these colorful plastic items became much more brittle and fragmented compared to black, white, and silver samples, which were largely unaffected.
Microplastic particles, tiny pieces of plastic, are now found everywhere in the environment. They have even been detected in human testicles, potentially contributing to declining sperm counts in men. These findings underscore the urgent need to rethink the use of plastics.
The British researchers placed colored bottle caps on the roof of a university building for three years, exposing them to the sun and the elements. Simultaneously, in South Africa, plastic items found on a remote beach were examined. Both studies yielded similar results: colorful plastic items fragmented into microplastics more quickly.
“It’s amazing that samples left to weather on a rooftop in Leicester and those collected on a windswept beach at the southern tip of Africa show similar results,” said Dr. Sarah Key, who led the project.
The research, published in the journal Environmental Pollution, is the first proof of this effect. It suggests that retailers and manufacturers should consider the color of short-lived plastic products more carefully. Black, white, and silver pigments protect plastic from harmful UV radiation, which alters the plastic’s polymer structure and makes it brittle.
“Colorful microplastic particles are more common in the environment because plastic items pigmented red, green, and blue are more susceptible to fragmentation,” explained Professor Sarah Gabbott of the University of Leicester.
Adam Herriott from the anti-waste organization Wrap emphasized that colored plastic has traditionally been used to make products stand out in stores. However, he recommends avoiding pigments to improve plastic recyclability and reduce microplastic formation.
