Where beach plastic really comes from
Most of what washes up was never dropped on the beach. Following the litter back to its source changes what clean-ups can achieve.
2 min read
A beach clean-up gives a quick snapshot of a much larger system. Bottles, sandals, fishing rope and food wrappers arrive from rivers, drains, boats and distant coastlines, carried by currents and wind.
Recording what is found, not just how much, is what makes a clean-up useful. Fishing gear points to activity at sea; packaging points to waste systems on land. Each needs a different response.
Over time, sunlight and waves break plastic into smaller and smaller pieces. Those fragments are harder to collect and easier for animals to swallow, which is why stopping plastic before it reaches the water matters most.
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