Plastic pollution is one of the most urgent environmental issues today. It contributes to the rapid acceleration of global warming, which exacerbates floods, forest fires, and other calamities.Plastic in the ocean is highly visible across the globe, especially in areas where there are low recycling rates and challenges with waste collection.Some important stats about plastic pollution:Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years.Plastic production has increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons by 2015. It is still expected to double by 2050.About 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans from coastal nations each year. This disposal is equivalent to setting five garbage bags full of trash on every foot of coastline around the world.Plastics often contain additives making them stronger, more flexible, and durable. Many of these additives make it even harder for the plastic to break down when it becomes garbage, taking an estimated 400 years to break down.Most of the plastic in the oceans comes from land sources. Trash is also carried to sea by major rivers, which function as conveyor belts, picking up more and more trash as they move downstream. Once the plastic is in the sea, much of it remains in coastal waters. It can then be transported around the world by ocean currents. Yikes!
