Our planet wrapped in plastic Michael Gross  Current Biology  Volume 27, Issue 16, Pages R785-R788 (August 2017) DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.007 Copyright © 2017 Terms and Conditions

Left stranded: Beaches even on remote and uninhabited islands can accumulate large quantities of plastic waste delivered by the ocean gyres. This picture was taken on Laysan Island in the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo: Susan White/USFWS.) Current Biology 2017 27, R785-R788DOI: (10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.007) Copyright © 2017 Terms and Conditions

Beady eye: Microscopically small plastic beads are currently contained in many hygiene and personal care products. They are due to be banned by the UK and other countries. This coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) shows particles found within a cosmetic facial scrub. (Photo: Steve Gschmeissner/SciencePhotoLibrary.) Current Biology 2017 27, R785-R788DOI: (10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.007) Copyright © 2017 Terms and Conditions

Radio days: The rapid spread of consumer products made of plastic since the 1950s, like this AM band table radio from the early 1960s, not only marks the beginning of a new era in human history, but is also likely to be recognised as the start of a new epoch in the geological history of our planet, the Anthropocene. (Photo: Joe Haupt/flickr by CC BY-SA 2.0.) Current Biology 2017 27, R785-R788DOI: (10.1016/j.cub.2017.08.007) Copyright © 2017 Terms and Conditions