Ocean pollution is caused by many different reasons, but how does plastic get from the coast all the way into our oceans?

One of the reasons is when plastic goes to a landfill, the plastic stays there for centuries and can produce bad and harmful byproducts. Plastic in the landfill is also very light and small so it can get picked up by wind and get blown away into our oceans and rivers. 

In landfills, other waste like wood and other natural and organic matter can biodegrade because tiny microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi decompose the waste. Unfortunately, the fungi and bacteria don't like to eat plastic and that means they can’t biodegrade, which takes the plastic 400 to 1000 years to decompose without the microorganisms help. 

Another reason is when it rains, plastic on the ground can get carried away into our sewer systems and then get drained into our oceans and rivers. 

Now, 8.8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans each and every year and about half comes from our rivers and streams. 

Plastic does not belong in our oceans and we must try to prevent that from happening.