Plastic Mythbusters

There are a lot of different claims about plastic in the environment in the media, but many of them are not really substantiated. We have fact-checked eight common claims and turned them into a quiz. Try it out!

With the Plastic Mythbusters web quiz, visitors can test their plastic knowledge. Which statements circulating virally in the media and in public discourse are really true? Which ones are uncertain or lack any scientific basis? The quiz is based on a crowd-sourced collection of facts and myths that plastic experts compiled on their own initiative via social media four years ago.

Each fact check is available in a short and a detailed version, which provides further information. The detailed check has been reviewed by recognized researchers who work internationally on the topic of plastic in the environment. In addition to myths, we have also embedded verified scientific findings on the topic in the quiz.

Read the fact checks

Is it true that by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean?

Is it true that we consume up to a credit card’s worth of plastic every week?

Is it true that there’s a solid island of plastic in the ocean, visible from space?

Is it true that most plastic waste is recycled, so using a lot of plastic is not a problem?

Is it true that bioplastics are a sustainable alternative to plastics since they degrade quickly in nature?

Is it true that 80 percent of plastics in the ocean comes from land, 20 percent from the sea?

Is it true that 90 percent of the plastic in the oceans comes from 10 rivers in Asia and Africa?

Is it true that microplastics are present in drinking water?