How microplastics contribute to the climate crisis

Microplastics entering the air are contributing to the climate crisis: what seemed like just a scientific hypothesis is now a certainty after the results of a study by a group of American and Chinese researchers from Fudan University and Duke University were published in the journal Nature Climate Change in May 2026.

 The key points of the study are these:

• Microplastics in the air don't just “float”: absorb solar radiation and retain heat, behaving partly like other aerosols that influence the climate. 
• Colored or black particles are much more problematic than transparent or white ones. According to researchers, some colored microplastics absorb light up to about 75 times more than unpigmented plastics. 
• The estimated global contribution is lower than that of CO₂ or fossil fuel particulate matter, but not negligible: the radiative forcing of microplastics would be about 16% of that of black carbon (soot). 
• In some highly contaminated areas — for example, parts of the subtropical Pacific — the local effect may be even stronger than that of soot. 
• The study also highlights an important scientific problem: Current climate models hardly take atmospheric microplastics into account, so their impact may have been underestimated so far. 

This study is especially important because it changes the way we think about microplastics: no longer just as an ecological and health problem, but also as a climate-active factor . While plastic pollution and climate change used to be treated as separate issues, the study shows that they are intertwined: plastic contributes to the climate not only through production and disposal, but also directly through microplastics in the atmosphere.

Scientists have been studying aerosols such as dust, sulfates, and soot for decades because they influence temperature, clouds, and solar radiation: this work by American and Chinese researchers suggests that atmospheric microplastics should also be included in that category.

Finally, if microplastics do indeed alter the Earth's energy balance, models used to predict future climate may underestimate some regional effects of warming. The study thus opens a new area of ​​climate research.

But even before this important research, several links had been identified between the microplastics we often inhale ( 68 a day) and the climate crisis. In particular:

• The production of plastic itself generates CO₂ emissions
  Most plastic comes from fossil oil and gas. Extracting, refining, and converting these fuels into plastic requires significant energy and generates greenhouse gas emissions. Microplastics are the end result of the fragmentation of the enormous quantities of plastic produced.
• Degradation and incineration
  When plastic degrades under the sun and heat, it can release methane and ethylene, both greenhouse gases. Additionally, much plastic waste is burned or incinerated, releasing further CO₂.
• The effects on the oceans
  Microplastics can interfere with phytoplankton, microscopic marine organisms that absorb a significant portion of atmospheric CO₂ through photosynthesis. If these ecosystems are damaged, the ocean could absorb less carbon.
• Alteration of the soil and biological cycles
  In the soil, microplastics can alter the activity of microbes and the soil's ability to store carbon. This is an area still under study, but there are signs that they could reduce the efficiency of natural carbon sinks.
• The growing demand for plastic
  If global plastic production continues to increase, associated emissions will also increase. Some estimates predict that by mid-century, plastic could consume a significant share of the global carbon budget.

While it's not easy to reduce plastic, let's remember what we can all do to reduce the free circulation of microplastics, even in the air.

Inside

• Wash synthetic fabrics less and better
  Polyester, nylon, and fleece shed microfibers. It helps:
  • use delicate cycles and cold water,
  • fill the washing machine well,
  • prefer durable garments,
  • use filters or microfiber-catching bags.
• Prefer natural fibers
  Cotton, linen, wool, and hemp tend to generate fewer persistent microplastics.
• Reduce single-use plastic
  Less plastic produced means less future fragmentation.
• Avoid cosmetics with microplastics
  Some scrubs, glitter, and cosmetic products contain synthetic polymers. Many countries are banning them, but not everywhere.
• Do not heat food in plastic containers
  Heat and wear can increase particle release.

Away from home

• To prefer walking or cycling Instead of driving, reduce your exposure near traffic, where a lot of microplastics from tires are concentrated. And reduce your car use anyway. 
• Avoid stopping for long periods on busy roads or intersections.
• Choosing secondary roads or green spaces generally have fewer suspended particles than main arteries.
• Visit parks and wooded areas that tend to trap some of the particles in the air.

Read also:

• Why microplastics are so harmful
• How to detect microplastics in cosmetics
• Fish and shellfish stuffed with microplastics