In this guide, we discuss the different aspects of plastic pollution in the ocean.
We look at how much plastic is in the ocean, the types of ocean plastic pollution, along with sources and causes, impact/effects, and potential solutions.
It compliments our separate guide on plastic pollution on dry land.
Summary – Plastic Pollution In The Ocean
Importance Of The Ocean
There’s many reasons the ocean is important to us as humans and as a society
So, it makes sense to understand the issue of plastic pollution in the ocean
How Much Plastic Is In The Ocean, & How Much More Will Be Added In The Future?
Of all plastic produced, some estimates indicate that about 10% ends up in the ocean
It might be impossible to definitively quantify the total amount of plastic in the ocean because of the nature of microplastics, and how they spread everywhere such as in the deep sea, in the stomachs of marine life, and buried along shorelines and beaches
One estimate says there is about 150 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean right now.
In 10 years, the amount of plastic could increase from 150 million metric tons, to 250 million metric tons
One report indicates that by 2050, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
Overall, the amount of plastic going into the ocean appears to be increasing every year as the amount of plastic being produced and consumed increases in society
Types Of Plastic In The Ocean – Land Origin vs Marine Origin Plastic
Overall, about 70-80% of plastic in the ocean come from land origins, and 20-30% from marine origins
However, in some parts of the ocean, such as heavily fished parts of the ocean, marine origin plastic may make up up to a 50% share of plastic found there.
Most land origin plastic comes from plastic packaging, and most marine origin plastic is from fishing equipment and fishing gear.
How Plastic Gets Into The Ocean
Three of the main ways plastic ends up in the ocean are:
1. Plastic is littered on land, and is carried or transported into the ocean via various ways (such as rivers)
2. Plastic is inadequately disposed of on land, and eventually ends up in the ocean
3. Plastic is dumped or discarded into the ocean at sea, from fishing vessels and other marine sources
*Mismanaged plastic includes all plastic that is littered, and plastic that is disposed of inadequately (such as via open/unsecure landfills where it leaks into the environment). So, when this term is used – it includes both these factors.
Where Plastic Is Most At Risk Of Entering The Ocean
Coastal populations within 50km from the coast line are where most of the plastic is at risk of entering the ocean
Important Factors That Increase The Chance Of Plastic Entering The Ocean In A Particular Location
Two of the most important factors in plastic waste ending up in the ocean in a particular location are the proximity of a given population to the coast, and, how effective the national waste management strategies are
Populations close to the coast with ineffective or poorly contained waste management systems may be more susceptible to leading plastic into the ocean
Where Plastic Pollution In The Ocean Comes From
There are industries, countries, rivers, and regions that are responsible for most of the plastic pollution in the ocean
We list them in the guide below
As a short summary …
Plastic packaging is the industry responsible for the most plastic waste from land origin sources
A high share of the world’s ocean plastics pollution has its origin in Asia
China contributes the highest share of mismanaged plastic waste with around 28 percent of the global total
East Asia and the Pacific lead all regions at 60%
A large majority of rivers that carry plastic into the ocean are located in Asia (about 86%).
China is home to the River Yangtze – the top plastic polluting river by plastic input into the ocean in the world
Microplastics & Microfibres In The Ocean
Larger pieces of plastic break down into microplastics over time in the ocean
However, microfibers can also come from the washing of synthetic fibre textiles in homes. These fibres then get into waste water, and eventually wash out into the ocean
Microfibres may absorb toxic chemicals, and may have an impact on health of living organisms
We list some of the other sources of microplastics in this guide, and also in this one
% Of Plastic In The Ocean That Is Straws
Straws make up less than 1% of the plastic in the ocean
What Are Plastic Islands Like The Great Pacific Garbage Patch In The Ocean?
These areas are usually the centre of ocean basins where plastics migrate to
What Happens To Plastic In The Ocean Once It Gets There?
A certain amount of plastic floats on the surface of the ocean
However, smaller bits of plastic and micro and nano plastics can end up in a range of places
It’s not known definitively what happens to all this plastic that doesn’t float on the surface of the water
Some of the theories on where plastic ends up are in the deep sea as sediments, in the digestive systems of marine life, and also buried on coastlines and beaches
Impact/Effects Of Plastic Pollution In The Ocean
There may be effects on both humans and marine life from plastic pollution in the ocean
We list some of these potential effects in the guide below
Solutions To Ocean Plastic Pollution
Three of the main solutions to addressing plastic pollution in the ocean might include reducing plastic waste, better managing plastic waste and reducing mismanaged plastic, and cleaning up existing plastic in the ocean
Particular focus may be placed on countries, regions, industries, rivers, and plastic types most responsible for plastic production, consumption, waste and pollution
One of the most effective ways to address ocean plastic pollution might be to ensure that all waste management systems worldwide are effective at processing and containing plastic waste – this would prevent inadequately disposed of plastic waste getting into the environment in the first place
Decreasing litter rates may also be effective
We go further into potential solutions in the guide below
We also put together a guide that includes general solutions for addressing plastic problems like plastic pollution here.
Potential Challenges To Addressing Plastic Pollution In The Ocean
One of the potential challenges in addressing ocean plastic pollution is effectively removing microplastics, microfibres and nano plastics from the environment
What % Of All Plastic Produced Ends Up In The Ocean?
Overall, of the 260 million tons of plastic the world produces each year, about 10 percent ends up in the ocean (plastic-pollution.org)
Read more about where the rest of plastic ends up in this guide
How Much Plastic Goes Into The Ocean Every Minute?
Roughly one garbage truck a minute, and, it appears the amount of plastic going into the ocean is expected to increase into the future.
Now
… one garbage truck of plastic [packaging] goes into the ocean every minute (weforum.org)
Medium.com outlines that each garbage truck has ‘the capacity to carry 15 tons when full’, but we must also consider the efficiency of garbage truck collection, in which, say for example, one ton of non compressed plastic might only be collected at a time.
In The Future
… If we carry on as usual, this is expected to increase to two per minute by 2030 and four per minute by 2050.
By 2050, this could mean there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans
– weforum.org
How Much Plastic Goes Into The Ocean Each Year?
Estimates per year can vary, but most estimates put the amount of plastic input into the ocean at somewhere around 8 million tons a year.
Amount Of Plastic By Total Weight
Between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year (nhm.ac.uk)
More than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year (plasticoceans.org)
Annual estimates of ocean plastic input is in the order of up to 10 millions tonnes (ourworldindata.org)
How Much Plastic Is In The Ocean?
Exact estimates of total plastic in the ocean are hard to make.
The reasons for this are that it’s hard to say exactly what happens to all plastic once it goes into the ocean, and, it’s hard to find accurate methods to quantify the amount of plastic in the ocean right now.
But, some estimates are …
[It is estimated there are 150 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean right now] (oceanconservancy.org)
… [in 2019] there are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic floating on the sea surface [… which] adds up to 269,000 tons.
That is heavier than 11 Statues of Liberty [and] Many scientists think there is even more than that.
… The rest is underwater [as a result of plastic breaking down into smaller pieces of plastic, like microplastics, and sinking into deeper water]
– nationalgeographic.org
In 2014, there was approximately 269,000 tonnes of plastic in surface waters [in the ocean] across the world (ourworldindata.org)
How Much Plastic Will There Be In The Ocean In The Future?
The amount could increase from 150 million metric tons to 250 million metric tons
… if we don’t do something now, we could be facing 250 million metric tons in the ocean in less than 10 years [because] plastic production and consumption are predicted to double over the next 10 years (oceanconservancy.org)
Quantifying Plastic In The Ocean
It can be difficult to get a 100% accurate estimate of all plastic in the ocean because it is not definitively known where all plastic ends up, and it can be difficult or impossible to quantify all plastic in marine environments (because of the range of places plastic ends up).
The quantification of [plastic that is anywhere other than the surface of the water is] as yet unknown.
… [it is also possible] due to imprecise measurement: we might either grossly overestimate the amount of plastic waste we release into the ocean, or underestimate the amount floating in the surface ocean
– ourworldindata.org
Types Of Plastic Found In The Ocean – Land Origin vs Marine Origin Plastic
Plastic in the ocean can be categorised in one way as coming from either land origins, or, from marine origins
Most land based plastic comes from plastic packaging, and most marine based plastic is from fishing equipment and fishing gear.
Land origin plastic overall makes up the majority of plastic found in the ocean globally, at around 70-80%, and marine at 20-30%.
But, heavily fished parts of the ocean may have up to 50% marine origin plastic.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an examples of a geographic region of the ocean where there might be 50% marine origin plastic.
Land vs Marine Origin Plastic
… it’s likely that marine sources contribute between 20-30 percent of ocean plastics, but the dominant source remains land-based input at 70-80 percent
Read more on this stat in the ‘Ocean plastic sources: land vs marine’ section of the plastic pollution guide at ourworldindata.org
Land Origin Plastic
Nearly half the plastic waste in the oceans is from packaging, but over half isn’t (uk-cpi.com)
A full 32% of the 78 million tons of plastic packaging produced annually is left to flow into our oceans (weforum.org)
Marine Origin Plastic
[Marine plastic comes from] fishing fleets that leave behind [discarded fishing equipment like] fishing nets, lines/ropes, ropes, and sometimes abandoned vessels (ourworldindata.org)
… approximately 640,000 tonnes of plastic enters the oceans each year as ‘ghost gear’ from boats and ships; fishing lines and nets lost or dumped overboard (uk-cpi.com)
How Does Plastic Get Into The Ocean?
The major ways plastics gets into the ocean, and how that happens are:
1. Littering of plastic waste on land
This plastic either get’s blown into the ocean, or, it ends up in rivers and water ocean outlets (and even waste water and stormwater runoff), or on the beach and get’s swept into the ocean by water
So, wind, water outflow, river outlet, runoff, and tidal factors lead to plastic litter ending up in the ocean
2. Inadequately disposed of plastic
Plastic that is put in bins, or dumped at dumping sites or landfill sites, and leaks into the environment and becomes plastic pollution
When bins, dumping sites, or landfill sites aren’t managed or secured/sealed properly, plastic can escape into the environment
3. Plastic is dumped or discarded directly into the ocean
This can happen on ocean vessels at sea, such as on fishing vessels as one example
This is how some marine origin plastic pollution happens
From ourworldindata.org: ‘Fishing vessels play a key role in discarding or dumping plastic into the ocean from marine based sources’
More On How & Where Plastic Gets Into The Ocean
From ourworldindata.org:
[In general – coastlines, rivers, tides, and marine sources are the entry points for plastic into the ocean]
Two of the most important factors in plastic waste ending up in the ocean are – proximity of [a] given population … to the coast, and [what the] national waste management strategies [are i.e. how effective they are]
Coastal populations within 50km from the coast line are where most of the plastic is at risk of entering the ocean
Aside from wind or tidal transport, waste water, and storm water, rivers play a key role in carrying plastic to coastal areas from inland areas.
Where Does Plastic Pollution In The Ocean Come From? (Sources Of Ocean Plastic Pollution)
The sources of plastic in the ocean might be …
By Industry
[Most plastic waste comes from the plastic packaging industry] (ourworldindata.org)
By Country
– Total Plastic Waste
China produced the largest quantity of plastic, at nearly 60 million tonnes. This was followed by the United States at 38 million, Germany at 14.5 million and Brazil at 12 million tonnes (ourworldindata.org)
– Per Capita Plastic Waste
Kuwait, Guyana, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, the United States [have some of the Per Capita plastic waste rates] (ourworldindata.org)
– Inadequately Disposed Of Plastic
High income countries have far lower rates of inadequately disposed plastic than middle and low income countries because of far more effective waste management [such as landfill sites that better contained and not open] (ourworldindata.org)
– Littered Plastic
[There is] a rate of littering of 2 percent of total plastic waste generation across all countries [and this plastic is at risk of ending up in the ocean] (ourworldindata.org)
– Total Mismanaged Plastic By Country (includes both Inadequately Disposed Of Plastic + Littered Plastic)
From ourworldindata.org:
A high share of the world’s ocean plastics pollution has its origin in Asia.
China contributes the highest share of mismanaged plastic waste with around 28 percent of the global total, followed by 10 percent in Indonesia, 6 percent for both the Philippines and Vietnam.
[See other countries at ourworldindata.org]
– Share Of Mismanaged Plastic Waste By Region
From ourworldindata.org:
[In 2010, global mismanaged plastic waste (plastic that is littered or uncontained i.e. more of a risk to contributing to plastic pollution outside of landfills, incineration or recycling) by region share was:]
East Asia and the Pacific lead all regions at 60%, with South Asia in second place at 11%
Europe & Central Asia at 3.6% and North America at 0.9% have the lowest shares of mismanaged plastic waste
By River
From ourworldindata.org:
The top 20 polluting rivers accounted for more than two-thirds (67 percent) of the global annual river input.
Geographically we see that the majority of the top 20 rivers are located in Asia.
86 percent of river inputs were from Asia; 8 percent from Africa; 5 from South America; and combined Europe, North America and Australia-Pacific were just over 1 percent.
The River Yangtze, the top polluting river, had an input of approximately 333,000 tonnes in 2015 —just over 4 percent of annual ocean plastic pollution.
[The Ganges River in India and Bangladesh comes in second at 115,000 tonnes, and the Xi River in China third at 73,900 tonnes
… rivers collectively dump anywhere from 0.47 million to 2.75 million metric tons of plastic into the seas every year, depending on the data used in the models.
The 10 rivers that carry 93 percent of that trash are the Yangtze, Yellow, Hai, Pearl, Amur, Mekong, Indus and Ganges Delta in Asia, and the Niger and Nile in Africa.
– scientificamerican.com
By Region
[Asia by far leads plastic inputs to the ocean by region at 86%] (ourworldindata.org)
Microplastics & Microfibres In The Ocean
Larger pieces of plastic break down into microplastics over time in the ocean
However, microfibers specifically can come from the washing of synthetic fibre textiles – the fibres get into waste water and eventually get into the ocean
We list some of the other sources of microplastics in this guide
How Much Microfibres Enter The Ocean Per Year
[Some sources indicate] half a million tonnes of plastic microfibres a year are now ending up as pollution in the ocean – 16 times more than the plastic microbeads from cosmetics … (wwtonline.co.uk)
How Microfibres Enter The Ocean
[It is claimed] over a third (35 per cent) of primary microplastics entering oceans are released through the washing of textiles …
… plastic microfibres … are shed into wastewater when clothes made from materials such as nylon, acrylic or polyester are washed.
– wwtonline.co.uk
Impact Of Microfibres Entering The Ocean
… microfibres are more likely than other types of microplastic to absorb toxic chemicals, which may be injurious to health (wwtonline.co.uk)
How Much Plastic In The Ocean Is From Straws?
Straws make up only a very small % of total plastics going into the ocean.
But, the question might also be asked as to what impact straws have in the ocean compared to other plastics.
If some plastic products like straws have a greater negative impact than some other plastic products on marine life for example, then, their share of all plastic pollution might carry more significance.
It’s estimated that if all straws around the world’s coastlines were lost to the ocean, this would account for approximately 0.03 percent of ocean plastics (ourworldindata.org)
How Much Plastic In The Ocean Is From Fishing?
As mentioned elsewhere in this guide, about 20 to 30% of total plastics in the ocean are from marine origins like fishing.
Certain parts of the ocean may have up to a 50% share of marine origin plastics though – especially heavily fished parts.
What Is The Island Of Plastic In The Ocean? (Great Pacific Garbage Patch)
Islands of plastic in the ocean are plastics that tend to migrate towards the centre of ocean basins.
One example of an ‘island of plastic’ is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
You can read more about it’s characteristics at ourworldindata.org
What Happens To Plastic In The Ocean Once It Gets There?
Plastic in the ocean tends to either float on the surface of the water, or end up somewhere else in the ocean.
There is a big discrepancy between the total amount of plastic estimated to be entering ocean yearly, and the amount of plastic accounted for on the surface of the water.
So, there’s different hypothesis’ on what happens to the rest of the plastic that can’t be accounted for.
This is sometimes referred to as the ‘missing plastic’ problem.
Some of the places that plastic might end up other than on the surface of the water are in the deep sea as sediments, in the digestive systems of marine animals, and washed up and buried on coastlines.
A lot of this plastic can be microplastic that breaks down from larger pieces of plastic.
Surface Plastic
Plastic is buoyant, so it tends to firstly collect on the surface of ocean waters (where it is transported by the prevalent wind and surface current routes, and accumulates in oceanic gyres, with high concentrations of plastics at the centre of ocean basins, and much less around the perimeters (ourworldindata.org)
You can read more about the ocean basins that have the most plastic mass at ourworldindata.org
‘Missing Plastic’, Below Surface Plastic, & Microplastics
It’s unknown where the majority of ocean plastics end up
A likely ‘sink’ for ocean plastics are deep-sea sediments … The other possible sinks of missing plastics are shallow-sea sediments, in addition to potential ingestion by organisms.
… new research may suggest a third explanation: that plastics in the ocean break down slower than previously thought, and that much of the missing plastic is washed up or buried in our shorelines
– ourworldindata.org
[Surface plastic] slowly breaks down. As it breaks apart, tiny pieces fall into deeper water. These pieces are called microplastics. Many are so small they can’t be seen without a microscope. Water currents carry them all across the planet.
[It’s estimated] some four billion plastic microfibers per square kilometer litter the deep sea
– nationalgeographic.org
Impact Of Plastic In The Ocean On Humans & Human Health
Three of the potential issues for humans from plastic pollution in the ocean might include:
– Persistent organic pollutants absorbed by plastics that get into the ocean
– The leaching of plastic additives from plastic that get into the ocean
– The breakdown of plastics into microplastics that get into the ocean
However, the impact of microplastics on human health may not be fully known at this stage.
Plastics In The Ocean In General
[Plastic particles, the release of persistent organic pollutant absorbed to the plastics, and leaching of plastic additives in the ocean might be three areas of concern for humans] (ourworldindata.org)
Microplastics
From ourworldindata.org:
There is, currently, very little evidence of the impact of microplastics in humans.
Despite having no clear evidence of health impacts, research on potential exposure is ongoing
Impact Of Plastic Pollution In The Ocean On Marine Life
We have put together a guide about the impact of plastic on marine life in this guide.
However, three of the main impacts of plastic pollution on marine life might be:
1. Ingestion of plastic
Marine life get swallow large pieces of plastic, or, they can ingest microplastics which build up in the digestive systems
2. Entanglement
For example, marine life can get entangled in fishing line
3. Abrasion
Marine life can come into contact with sharp or rough pieces of plastic
Solutions To Plastic Pollution In The Ocean
We’ve already put together a guide that includes general solutions for addressing plastic problems like plastic pollution.
Main Solutions
Some of the main solutions specifically to plastic pollution in the ocean might be:
1. Reduce plastic waste
This involves reducing the use of plastic, or, reducing the waste rate of plastic by using plastic in a way where it stays in use for a longer period of time before it becomes waste.
Less plastic waste means less plastic that can potentially become plastic pollution.
2. Better manage plastic waste (and reducing mismanaged plastic)
Mismanaged plastic waste comes from littered plastic, and inadequately disposed of plastic.
Four things that can be done to better manage plastic waste can be:
– Reducing littering on land
– Better managing marine origin plastics at sea so they don’t become pollution at as high rates (with examples being fishing line, and fishing equipment)
– Better containing plastic that goes into bins, to dumping sites, and landfill sites
– Specifically improving waste management systems and infrastructure in countries with highest rates of mismanaged plastic, and plastic pollution
3. Clean up polluted plastic already in the environment
This would involve cleaning up plastic on land, in rivers, on beaches and plastic already in the ocean.
Gyres and ocean basins may be places where a lot of plastic congregates on the surface.
ourworldindata.org indicates that basins in the Northern Hemisphere had the highest quantity of plastics. The North Pacific, Indian Ocean, North Atlantic ocean basins have the highest amount of surface plastic mass.
There is obviously a time, financial and resource cost to do this though, so, the feasibility of cleaning up plastic in the environment needs to be weighed up against the outcome of removing plastic from the environment.
We’ve included more data about the economic cost of removing plastic from the ocean in this guide.
The Ocean Cleanup is an example of a group/initiative cleaning up plastic from oceans and beaches at the moment.
Maritime-executive.com has some interesting potential solutions for plastic removal from the ocean
weforum.org has more information about cleaning up plastic, and how it might be used once it’s removed from the ocean
theconversation.com also has a good breakdown on the market for recovered plastics
We’ve also put together two guides about waste and plastic waste found on beaches:
Most Common Types Of Waste Found In Oceans & On Beaches
How To Reduce Your Ocean/Beach Rubbish Footprint (Based On Marine Waste Stats)
Other Potential Solutions
– Place particular focus on the sources of land origin plastic pollution, and marine origin plastic pollution
A significant amount of land origin plastic comes from the plastic packaging industry, and marine origin plastic from fishing vessels and equipment
And, land origin plastic overall is responsible for a greater share of total plastic pollution, so land origin sources may require more resources to address over marine sources
– Place particular focus on the countries and regions most responsible for plastic pollution, and plastic entering into the ocean
Such as lower income regions with underdeveloped or ineffective waste management infrastructure and systems. Higher income countries tend to have more effective/better contained waste management systems and infrastructure
We’ve also mentioned countries and regions elsewhere in this guide that are responsible for high mismanaged plastic rates (and littering and inadequately disposed of plastic), have a higher share of plastic going into the ocean via their rivers, and so on
– Place particular focus on the places where plastic can enter the ocean
Such as coastal locations within 50km from the coast line, rivers, beaches and coastlines that allow tides to wash plastic into the ocean, storm water and waste water run off points and outlets, and marine sources
As ourworldindata.org mentions, two of the most important factors in plastic waste ending up in the ocean are … ‘Proximity of [a] given population centres to the coast, and national waste management strategies’
– Consider some of the main sources of microplastics entering the ocean
Some sources indicate plastics are getting into the ocean via rivers which have plastic fibres from textiles and clothes that we wash in them.
To combat this, some sources suggest this partial reduction strategy:
[People can change their] washing practices – fewer microfibres are shed when clothes are washed at low temperatures, in a full washing machine and with no tumble drying – is one approach that could help, while it has also been proposed that improving filter technology in washing machines is a solution that should be explored. (wwtonline.co.uk)
… it is not realistic to ban synthetic clothing, which accounts for around 60 per cent of clothes produced globally, and measures that manufacturers could take to reduce the shedding of microfibres, such as making clothes with less blended material and tighter yarns, are also seen by many as prohibitively expensive (wwtonline.co.uk)
Is This The Most Effective Way To Address Plastic Pollution In The Ocean?
ourworldindata.org makes interesting points about the most effective way to address plastic pollution in the ocean
What they point out is that plastic waste like plastic straws make up only a small % of total plastic waste, so, banning certain plastics like plastic straws might not be the most effective solution
Instead, more effective waste management systems that contain plastic waste could be the most effective solution
Additionally, reducing marine origin plastic waste and pollution like fishing line and fishing equipment discards could be another effective solution
From ourworldindata.org:
It’s estimated that if all straws around the world’s coastlines were lost to the ocean, this would account for approximately 0.03 percent of ocean plastics.
A global ban on their use could therefore achieve a maximum of a 0.03 percent reduction
With effective waste management systems across the world, mismanaged plastics at risk of entering the ocean could decline by more than 80 percent.
If we focus all of our energy on contributions of negligible size [like plastic straws], we risk diverting our focus away from the large-scale contributions we need
… other sources of plastic pollution — such as discards of fishing nets and lines (which contributed to more than half of plastics in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch) receive significantly less attention [than plastic items like straws]
Challenges In Addressing Plastic Pollution In The Ocean
Some of the challenges might include:
1. Cleaning up microplastics already in the ocean
Microplastics and nano plastics are microscopic pieces of plastic that end up in a range of places.
The size of microplastics and how far they can spread in the marine environment may make it close to impossible to fully eliminate them or clean them up.
Developments such as enzymes that eat microplastics have been researched and trialled in laboratories, but, to expect that these types of developments could fully remove microplastics from the environment seems very unlikely at this stage.
Sources
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3. https://plasticoceans.org/the-facts/
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