Everyone is talking about food containers, what about textiles - we breathe in and swallow quite a lot of dust every day, mostly coming from them. Even if you're wearing pure cotton the others may not and the office carpets and furniture are all plastic, getting torn every day.
According to a report compiled by the EU, the largest group of primary sources consists of the small particles released from the washing waters of synthetic textiles, such as fleece clothing. Wear particles from tire and road materials are the second largest primary source. Together, these primary sources form 15–31% of the microplastics in the oceans, that is, less than one third.
Secondary sources include larger plastic items, such as bottles, bags and fishing nets that are ground into microplastics over time. These are estimated to form 69–81% of the sources of microplastics in the oceans, that is, at least two thirds.
The fleece loving hippies are killing us faster than the car fanatics are, but only just.
Food containers are also just..not the problem. No bulk plastic is. Even scraping the hell out of container isn't going to make particles in any quantity.
Microplastic in the environment comes from long term degradation of plastic when it washes into the ocean or waterways and breaks down from UV / radical exposure.
