NRDC Launches “Microplastics Are Micromonsters” to Combat Growing Human Health Threat

NEW YORK – NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is launching “Microplastics Are Micromonsters,” a national public health campaign bringing urgent attention to the growing body of scientific evidence that microplastics — tiny pieces of plastic shed from everyday products — are accumulating in the human body and may be harming our health.

The ad campaign launches today in Times Square, with illustrations by acclaimed French artist Serge Bloch appearing across Broadway Plaza, the Nasdaq building, taxi tops, and LinkNYC kiosks. Each illustration pairs a colorful “micromonster” — a character made from everyday plastic fragments — with a single, doable behavior swap to help people reduce their everyday exposure. 

“Microplastics are in our blood, our brains, and our babies, and the science on what they're doing to our bodies is only getting more concerning,” said Renée Sharp, director of plastics and petrochemical advocacy at NRDC. “People deserve to know what's in their bodies and what they can do about it to protect themselves and their families. While no one can shop their way out of the problem, simple swaps in your daily routine can reduce exposure and making that knowledge accessible is what this campaign is all about.”

The science behind the campaign is alarming. Microplastics have been detected in human blood, brain tissue, placentas, and in a baby's first stool. Scientists believe we ingest, inhale, and absorb them through our skin daily, from the food we eat, makeup we wear, the air we breathe, and the plastic containers we use to cook and store food. Studies have associated the presence of microplastics in arterial plaque with increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death. Research also suggests exposure to microplastic harms to reproductive, digestive, and respiratory health. It is not just the particles themselves that pose hazards; more than 16,000 chemicals are used to make plastics, many of them toxic, and microplastics carry and release those chemicals into the body.

The plastics industry is on track to nearly triple its output by 2060, with approximately 40% projected to be single-use plastics, meaning the problem will deepen significantly without action. Microplastics Are Micromonsters is designed to meet that moment not with alarm, but with clear, practical guidance anyone can act on, while pressing for the broader systemic change needed to reduce plastic production overall.

• To download the full suite of Micromonster ads, see here.
• Visit https://www.nrdc.org/stopmicromonsters for more.

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).