Scourge of microplastics harming hedgehogs

Here at UKVending we take our environmental responsibilities extremely seriously and recycle everything that we can possible do. We are also members of several environmental protection organisations so it made us sad recently when a new report was published that stated that endangered species such as voles, wood mice and hedgehogs were swallowing harmful plastics.

Scientists at the University of Sussex monitoring their droppings have discovered that these loveable creatures are eating harmful amounts of plastic and could suffer a similar fate to sea birds, which often starve when their guts are blocked after consuming plastics.

The study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment analysed 261 faecal samples, finding plastic in almost 17 per cent of them. The most common plastics being polyester, from clothing, which often seeps into the environment after being washed in washing machines.