They were a new geological phenomenon formed by the combination of natural rock-forming processes and plastic debris, particularly fishing nets and oceanic trash. This realization led Santos to an ...

Melted plastic has become ingrained in rocks on a remote island in Brazil. Trinidade Island has long been an intriguing location for scientists. However, the discovery of plastic rocks ...

It’s not just litter. It’s entombed in a new kind of rock.

So geologist Fernanda Avelar Santos was startled to find an unsettling sign of human impact on the otherwise untouched landscape: rocks formed from the glut of plastic pollution floating in the ocean.

and the problem has become so bad that scientists have even found melted plastic ingrained in rocks on remote islands in Brazil. The plastic buildup also continues to threaten our oceans.

An curved arrow pointing right. Skipping Rocks Lab has developed an edible, biodegradable water bottle that they hope will someday replace the plastic water bottle. Check out what Skipping Rocks ...

Brian Driscoll from the Gemological Institute of America explains how they are made and how to tell the difference between these artificial rocks and the real deal. Produced by Alana Kakoyiannis.