An estimated eight million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean every year, breaking down into microplastics that have now been found from the deepest ocean trenches to remote mountain snowpack. The scale of the problem is enormous -- but so is the range of solutions now being deployed against it.
Where the Plastic Comes From
Most ocean plastic originates on land, carried by rivers and stormwater systems from areas with inadequate waste management infrastructure. Single-use packaging, fishing gear, and microplastics shed from textiles and tires all contribute to the total, meaning effective solutions have to address both consumer waste and industrial supply chains.
Cleanup Technology
Ocean cleanup systems -- floating barriers designed to passively collect plastic debris from ocean currents and river mouths -- have removed measurable quantities of plastic from some of the most polluted waterways feeding the ocean. River interception, focused on the relatively small number of rivers responsible for a disproportionate share of ocean plastic input, has proven to be one of the more cost-effective cleanup strategies.
Reducing Plastic at the Source
Bans and fees on single-use plastic bags and packaging, adopted in a growing number of cities and countries, have measurably reduced plastic litter in the regions that enforce them. Extended producer responsibility laws -- which require manufacturers to fund the collection and recycling of the packaging they produce -- are shifting the economic incentives further upstream.
The Circular Economy Approach
Beyond cleanup and reduction, a growing number of companies are redesigning packaging entirely around reuse and refill models, and investing in chemical recycling technologies that can break plastic down into reusable raw materials rather than downcycling it into lower-value products. See our Recycling & Circular Economy hub for more on how this shift is playing out.
What Individuals Can Do
Reducing single-use plastic consumption, properly sorting recyclables, and supporting policy that holds producers accountable for packaging waste all contribute to a solution that ultimately requires action at every level -- individual, corporate, and governmental.