Experts from Greenpeace Switzerland were startled when they analyzed feces from a variety of wild animals.
"Oh s***, microplastics," the researchers titled their findings. While comical, the droppings are a serious indication about how widespread the tiny plastic particles have become.
What's happening?
A survey of poop from critters such as deer, wild boar, and martens showed sometimes high levels of microplastics. According to blue News, 55 samples were collected between December 2024 and March 2025, with 15 of them being analyzed. They were pulled from a variety of areas, representing diverse species.
Fourteen of the samples were found to contain microplastics, with the last deer dropping not 100% verifiable. However, it was also likely contaminated, according to blue News. The report added that up to 10 different types of plastics, including rubber, Teflon, and polystyrene, were found in many samples.
The microscopic pieces shed from plastic trash and pollution as it degrades, ending up in soil and water. We make more than 496 million tons of plastic annually, and most of it — bottles, utensils, and packaging among the products — takes hundreds of years to break down, according to Our World in Data and the United Nations.
The prolific plastic parts are in astounding places such as rain, table salt, and our bodies, Harvard Medicine reported.
Now, there's evidence they have infiltrated animals in the Swiss wilderness.
Why are the feces findings important?
Harvard adjunct professor Bernardo Lemos said in HM that many "unknowns" remain.
"But we are seeing more data that suggest microplastics affect human biology," Lemos added. Inflammation, cell death, and liver and lung problems are among concerns listed in the article.
A study analyzing microplastics in mice found that the particles impacted brain blood flow. Around the world, plastic has also been identified in other animal feces. Giant tortoises in the Galápagos Islands are gobbling up our trash. Knotted plastic has been found in donkey droppings in Kenya. It's turning up in dead seabird stomachs.
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"Swiss wildlife has not been spared from the widespread pollution of their habitats by plastic," Greenpeace experts wrote in their report.
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Definitely 👍 What's being done to help?
Greenpeace is advocating for lawmakers to regulate plastic use to reduce pollution. Additionally, bright minds around the world are innovating solutions to catch particles before they reach the environment. A fish gill-inspired washing machine filter is built to collect microplastics that fall from clothing during a cycle, for example.
Certain mushrooms have proved capable of eating some plastic types, providing a natural remedy.
Ditching disposable plastic use at home is perhaps the best way anyone can help. Using reusable containers, grocery bags, and other products can save you cash and provide a better user experience. Americans spend about $240 on throwaway water bottles. Switching to a reusable one can cut your expenses while preventing loads of plastic from going to the landfill — and eventually the intestinal tracts of a growing number of creatures.
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