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The Daily Insight Hub

Do humans consume a credit card worth of plastic?

Author

Jackson Reed

Updated on February 14, 2026

People are consuming about 5 grams of plastic every week, which is the equivalent of a credit card, according to an analysis by the World Wildlife Fund and carried out by the University of Newcastle in Australia. That equates to about 21 grams of plastic per month and just over 250 grams per year, the report states.

Do we eat a credit card worth of plastic a week?

You’re eating, swallowing or breathing in about 2,000 tiny pieces of plastic each week, a new study suggests, an amount equal to the weight of one credit card. According to the study, most of the pieces of plastic we ingest come from drinking water, but it’s also in other foods such as shellfish and salt.

Do we eat a credit card a week?

In this first-ever global study, we’ve discovered that on average, people could actually be ingesting approximately 5 grams of microplastics every week – that’s the equivalent of a credit card. That’s approximately 21 grams a month, just over 250 grams a year.

Why is it bad to use credit card?

Using credit cards and not paying them off monthly can be detrimental to your credit. The major downsides of using credit when you don’t have the cash to pay it off later—besides the high-cost interest—includes hurting your credit, straining relationships with family and friends, and ultimately bankruptcy.

How much plastic do we eat each week?

A new study finds the average person could be swallowing about five grams of plastic every week. That’s equal to a credit card’s worth. These particles can make their way into our drinking water, food and even the air we breathe and it adds up over time.

How much plastic do we eat each year?

People across the world unwittingly consume roughly 5 grams of plastic each week in the course of daily life, or about the weight of a credit card, according to Australian researchers. That’s about 250 grams per year—more than a half-pound of plastic every 12 months.

How much plastic do we eat every year?

One research review published in 2019 calculated that the average American eats, drinks, and breathes in more than 74,000 microplastic particles every year. Some scientists say it’s likely that ingesting these tiny bits of plastic could expose us to harmful chemicals.