Plastics are everywhere. The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that more than 300 million metric tons of plastic are produced worldwide every year, half of which is for single-use items.

Plastic is in everything from the way food and drinks are packaged to the way products and goods are shipped through the mail. Things like clothing, tea bags, cigarette butts, chewing gum and aluminum cans all contain plastics.

The proliferation of plastic in all kinds of products over the last several decades has led to an increase in microplastics - plastic particles that are five millimeters or less across or in length - showing up in all areas of the environment.  We can see the above mentioned products strewn along roadways and in rivers and streams.

As reported in the Democrat last May, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Park Service (NPS) conducted a three-phase study of microplastic occurrence and biological uptake in NPS waters which found microplastics in 100 percent of Delaware River Samples, 94 percent of fish samples, and 45 percent of mussel samples. The dominant form of microplastics found were fibers, such as from synthetic clothing and textiles.

Once in the environment, microplastics continue to break down into smaller and smaller particles, eventually reaching nano-scale.

This continuous breakdown enables organisms across the food web, including mammals and birds to fish and zooplankton, to ingest microplastics.

Microplastics even exist in our own bodies. A recent study published in the journal Environment International in May found that as many as three out of four people have microplastic particles in their bloodstream.

While the effects of microplastics on humans and animals are still being studied, they can include reproductive effects, oxidative stress, toxicity to the liver and cellular damage, among other effects.

It may seem like a small step, but there are choices each of us can make to reduce the use of single-use plastic waste. Things such as reusuable coffee cups and waterbottles and replacing plastic products with glass or steel containers is a start. Recycling the materials we already use can help cut down on what ends up in our environment.

Governments, businesses and individuals have a responsibility to take steps toward a healthier and more sustainable future.

Anyone interested in lending a helping hand can join Kittatinny for their 32nd annual Delaware River Clean Up in Barryville, New York on July 18 or Matamoras, Pennsylvania on July 19. Visit Kittatinny.com or call (800) 356-2852 to register.