Plastic pollution is a growing crisis in our oceans, with an estimated 1-2 million metric tonnes

Plastic pollution is a growing crisis in our oceans, with an estimated 1-2 million metric tonnes

Plastic pollution is a growing crisis in our oceans, with an estimated 1-2 million metric tonnes 1 of plastic entering marine environments each year, making up over 80% of all marine litter 2 . Most of this plastic originates on land and persists in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years, gradually breaking down into microplastics that permeate the entire marine ecosystem. This pollution not only entangles and is eaten by marine life, but also introduces toxic chemicals into the food chain, potentially affecting human health and causing significant economic impacts on tourism, fishing, and shipping industries. Background 1 Our World in Data, https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution 2 European Environment Agency, Marine Litter Assessment. https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/european-marine-litter-assessment