The UK government must urgently draw up a comprehensive national strategy to tackle microplastic pollution or risk falling further behind international efforts to address one of the most pervasive environmental threats of our time, researchers have warned.

A new policy brief, delivered to MPs today (6th May 2025) by the University of Portsmouth’s Global Plastics Policy Centre, outlines the growing scale of the crisis and calls for a coordinated UK roadmap with clear targets and timelines. Developed in collaboration with leading UK microplastics scientists from 7 UK Universities, the brief highlights regulatory gaps and missed opportunities in government policy, despite mounting evidence of harm to human health, ecosystems and the economy.

Over 40 percent of Black students in Canada have experienced a racist incident at school; A permissive climate and lack of intervention from teachers and school staffs impacts Black students’ sense of security, allowing symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress and PTSD to fester; Systematic reforms – from antiracist interventions to cultural sensitivity training – are needed to improve mental health of Black students.