Mythbusting: Using 'Ocean Plastic' Solves Plastic Pollution

According to UNESCO, plastic makes up 80% of all marine pollution, with between eight and 10 million metric tons of it ending up in the oceans every year. With a business-as-usual scenario, the amount is expected to nearly triple by 2040 to 29 million metric tons every 12 months. It’s no surprise, then, that brands and consumers have embraced the idea of removing that plastic and turning it into something new and useful. But ocean plastic's potential has been grossly overinflated, from how much brands claim they’re using, to the amount it's possible to retrieve, and where it actually comes from.