18. Detergent Pods
Colorful detergent pods, once used for household chores, often end up in the ocean along with their plastic casings.
While the pods themselves dissolve, the outer casings persist, breaking down into microplastics that are nearly impossible to remove from marine environments.
These small fragments are easily ingested by aquatic life, adding to the growing microplastic problem.
To learn more about the challenges of plastic pollution from household products, see this NPR article.