A report published in March found there are more than 170 trillion microplastics floating on top of the world’s oceans.

This has harmful ramifications for the environment and for marine life, including “Plasticosis”, a novel disease where plastic exposure causes extensive scar tissue and fibrosis in seabirds. Less is known about the human health impact of these plastics – which have been found everywhere from women’s placentas to polar bears.

“These plastics are PBTs. Persistent: they don’t ever completely break down; bio-accumulative: they continue to build up in living organisms and, now toxic,” says the Sydney-based father of three. “While we let industry argue over whether these studies provide sufficient, evidence of harm, the world my kids are going to inherit is filling up more and more with plastic.”

So, what can we do about it?

Microplastics are the tiny fragments that break down from larger plastics including bottles, car tires, beauty products containing plastic beads, cigarettes, clothing and bedding made from synthetic fibres.

“The current research suggests single-use plastic bottled water is one of the primary avenues for microplastic to enter the body,” says Harvey, “so moving away from bottled water consumption would be one effective way for individuals to reduce potential exposure to microplastics.”

We can also avoid plastic wrapping and other single-use plastics (e.g. plastic bags), 98 per cent of which are from fossil fuels.