Man-made debris in the oceans is now found from
the poles to the equator and from shorelines,
estuaries and the sea surface to ocean floor.
While the types and absolute quantities vary, it
is clear that plastic materials represent the major
constituents of this debris, and there is no doubt
about the ubiquity of such debris on a truly global
scale (Barnes et al.2009; Ryan et al.2009; Browne
et al.2011). Plastic debris can be harmful to wildlife
and to human health (Derraik 2002; Gregory
2009), it has the potential to transport organic and
inorganic contaminants (Mato et al.2001; Teuten
et al.2009), can present a hazard to shipping,
and can be aesthetically detrimental (Mouat et
al.2010). In addition to having consequences
for biodiversity and potential indirect effects on
ecosystem goods and services, marine debris
has direct negative economic impacts on many
coastal countries and small island states, of which
many are developing countries and countries
with economies in transition (Kershaw et al.2011;
UNEP 2009).