International Marine Litter Research Unit

Furthering our understanding of litter on the environment and defining solutions

Plastic litter washed up on beach with tree

HCoined the phrase 'microplastics'
HFirst to demonstrate marine organisms ingest and retain microplastics
HFirst to discover global distribution of microplastics from Arctic sea ice to the deep sea

Two decades of research

Working for the past two decades on marine and freshwater projects in the UK, Europe and around the world, the International Marine Litter Research Unit has developed a detailed understanding of the environmental and societal impacts of plastic marine litter.

The global outlook of the team’s research has seen them test numerous interventions with industry partners aimed at identifying the solutions to this worldwide problem. They have published 134 papers on microplastics alone, and their work has influenced both national and international legislation.

Discovering microplastics

In 2004, Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS and his team were the first to show that microplastic particles have accumulated in oceans since the 1960s and are now globally present in our seas.

Their work has shown that microplastic debris is now found in substantial quantities in remote locations such as the deep sea and the Arctic and that they are damaging to a range of marine organisms who ingest these pieces.

Two decades of discovery: the International Marine Litter Research Unit

Evidence to inform solutions in policy and industry

The team’s work has influenced policy worldwide and has advised governments and international organisations across the globe. They continue to provide the evidence that will underpin the most appropriate solutions to the problem of marine plastic pollution.

Evidence provided to UK Parliament in 2015 informed the tax on single use plastic bags.
In 2015, the team's evidence to Defra and the UK Parliament led directly to the 2018 ban on the use of microbeads in rinse-off cosmetics. Many other countries around the world have followed with similar policy actions.
Our 2020 evidence on the release of textile fibres during laundering has led to industrial innovation to introduce plastic microfibre capturing filters on washing machines. This has resulted in the implementation of these filters on all new machines in France from 2025 and has added pressure to introduce this legislation across Europe.
Contributed to the UN Environment Agency report in 2022 which informed discussions on a new global plastics treaty.
The team's 2022 evidence on potential challenges with mechanical cleaning devices will inform local authorities and others managing water bodies.

Find out more about our policy impact

Thirty years ago, while counting barnacles, limpets and seaweeds along rocky shores, I started noticing a daily tide of litter, mostly plastic. I kept removing it, but the next day, there’d be more.

Richard Thompson OBE FRS
Director of the Marine Institute

The godfather of microplastics reflects on 20 years of pollution research and what's next for the fight for global action.

Read the full story on The Conversation

Plastic production has risen exponentially in the last several decades and now amounts to some 400 million tons per year – a figure set to double by 2040.

Follow the microplastics topic

Research highlights and top stories

Supporting the United Nations Treaty on Plastic Pollution
A mandate for global change

INC-4: Supporting the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee
The International Marine Litter Research Unit is supporting the global plastics treaty negotiations

Stemming the tide of microplastics and marine litter
REF2021

Plastic bottle and other plastic marine litter on a beach

Marine Litter: are there solutions to this global environmental problem?

The University's Marine Institute research into marine plastics and their impact on the environment, over almost two decades, has resulted in numerous research findings of major importance, influencing national and international legislation. As well as demonstrating the impacts, the focus of the International Marine Litter Research Unit has progressively shifted towards solutions orientated approaches.

Our brochure delves into more specific details of the world-leading research that our team continue to progress.

Current projects

TYRE-LOSS: Lost at Sea – where are all the tyre particles?

National Highways attenuation pond for microplastic removal

National Highways: quantifying microplastic contribution from the Strategic Road Network

Environmental Issue: Underwater image of Plastic in the Ocean. The location here is Phi Phi Islands, Krabi, Thailand.

PISCES: a systems analysis approach to reduce plastic waste in Indonesian societies

Agriculture is project to be one of the industries contributing biodegradable plastics to the environment (Credit Getty Images)

BIO-PLASTIC-RISK: assessing risk of biodegradable plastics

Future Fibres Network+: decarbonising the fashion industry

Brightly lit oil rig operating over calm sea

INSITE: decommissioning and subsea plastics

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