When Pariksha Rao ordered cauliflower from the instant food delivery app Swiggy, it came wrapped in a nylon mesh. In a bid to unwrap it, she sliced the mesh with a knife. What followed was a tsunami of microplastics floating in the air, sticking to her clothes, the vegetable, and landing in the darkest nooks of the kitchen. In a frenzy, Rao used a vacuum cleaner to wipe off the stubborn microplastics.

To her respite, plastic came off her clothes and the kitchen floor. However, the real horror began when the plastic pieces remained stuck to the cauliflower. All the vacuum suction on the veggie went in vain. No amount of cutting and cleaning could separate the microplastic from the cauliflower. Ultimately, Rao had to dump the vegetable after multiple failed attempts.