Single-use plastics are items made of plastic polymers that are used once and then discarded. Plastics are polymers composed of chains of repeating polymer units that can be organic or synthetic in nature. They are non-reactive and act as insulators. Examples of common plastics include nylon, polyethylene, polyester and Teflon. Single-use plastics persist in the environment for hundreds of years and their widespread use is causing severe harm to marine life and potential human health impacts if microplastics are ingested.