Environmental Welfare

Welfare of Wild Animals and Microplastic Pollution

Microplastic pollution is now ubiquitous in marine and freshwater ecosystems; the welfare implications of wildlife ingestion and contamination are increasingly documented.

Key Facts

Microplastics have been found in over 800 species including deep sea fish
Seabirds feed microplastics to their chicks causing internal injuries and starvation
Fish consuming microplastics show behavioral changes and reproductive disruption
Marine mammals including whales have died with large quantities of plastic in their stomachs
Microplastics are now found in human blood, breast milk, and placentas

Welfare Considerations

Microplastic pollution causes welfare harm through internal injury, false satiety leading to starvation, and chemical contamination. The scale of contamination means billions of individual animals are affected, making plastic reduction one of the highest-leverage wildlife welfare interventions.

What You Can Do

Reduce single-use plastic consumption to decrease microplastic inputs
Support legislation banning single-use plastics and requiring plastic waste management
Donate to ocean plastic cleanup and pollution monitoring programs
Advocate for extended producer responsibility for plastic waste management