Plastic waste does not belong in our oceans, and it has become a mounting problem in many parts of the world. When plastic breaks down in the landfill, it ends up as microplastics which are harmful to animals that ingest them. If nothing is done, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
Every year, 8 million metric tons of plastics enter our ocean on top of the estimated 150 million metric tons that currently circulate our marine environments.
Ocean plastic pollution may flow from geographic hotspots, but it does not originate there. Successfully controlling it requires both dealing with existing plastic waste and reducing plastic exports to these hotspots, of which the US is a major offender. Ocean plastic pollution is a global problem that requires both localized solutions to dealing with existing plastic pollution and broad systems change to minimize the volume of plastic to recycle or dispose of safely in the first place.
