Plastic pollution is a global concern, posing challenges to organisms and water quality worldwide.
Plastics come in every shape and size imaginable, are made from a variety of polymers (polypropylene, polystyrene, etc.), and can cause significant deleterious ecological and biological effects on habitats and organisms. These ubiquitous pollutants are at the cutting edge of environmental research due to their large-scale impacts and are a major topic of study the world over.
Hudson River Park has been collecting, categorizing, and removing plastics for nearly a decade through various volunteering and research efforts in collaboration with various institutions and organizations. Plastic debris is often categorized into either Macroplastics or Microplastics, depending if they are larger or smaller than 5mm.
Learn more about the Park’s plastic work below!