Microplastics pioneer named among TIME’s 100 most influential people of 2025

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Microplastics pioneer named among TIME’s 100 most influential people of 2025

Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS has been recognised for his groundbreaking work to address the global plastics crisis

Mr Alan Williams

Media and Communications Manager

Corporate Communications (Marketing and Communications)

16 April 2025

Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS , who led the first study using the term microplastics to describe the microscopic fragments of plastic polluting the global ocean, has been named by TIME among its list of the world’s 100 most influential people of 2025.

The list features notable figures from the worlds of politics, industry, culture, science and sport.

Professor Thompson, who heads the International Marine Litter Research Unit at the ��Ƶ, is among a handful of UK representatives on the overall list, with others including the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and singer Ed Sheeran.

He is featured within the Innovators category – alongside rapper Snoop Dogg, chef Kwame Onwuachi, ecologist Professor Sandra Diaz, and astronomer Wendy Freedman – in recognition of his ongoing research into the causes, effects and potential solutions of the global plastics crisis.

A citation highlighting his achievements, written by the author and environmentalist Bill McKibben, says:

“From his pioneering research to pushing for policy change, Thompson has been pivotal to efforts to protect the ocean, and us all.”

It is obviously a real honour to be named on this list, and it feels slightly surreal.

There are a lot of incredibly talented and worthy people in the world, and many others I feel are more deserving. However, it is wonderful to be recognised for the impact our work has had over the past two decades, whether that is through influencing global policy and industry innovation, or inspiring future generations of scientists and consumers to think about the role they can play in bringing about change.

Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS
Director of the Marine Institute

In 2004, Professor Thompson led first study to show long term accumulation of microscopic fragments of plastic in the ocean, naming them microplastics.

He has since worked with researchers and students at the University, and colleagues all over the world, to highlight the presence of microplastics everywhere from our rivers and coastlines to the deepest ocean, and from polar regions to the highest mountains on the planet.

This work has directly influenced global policies, from the UK ban on microbeads in cosmetics to discussions around the Global Plastics Treaty, and he is a co-coordinator of the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty.

This is the latest accolade Professor Thompson has received for his work, including being made an OBE for his services to marine science in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List, and being jointly awarded the Volvo Environment Prize in 2022, and the 2023 Blue Planet Prize.

I believe this award, and those we have earned previously, are a demonstration of the value of independent science and how it can help us to better understand, and ultimately protect, our planet. In the context of my work that’s about making sure the plastics we produce are safer and more sustainable than they are today, and helping ensure we realise the benefits that plastics can bring without the current environmental impacts.

Professor Richard Thompson