Marine litter is a growing global problem. Every year, an average of 8 million tons of plastic waste ends up in the sea; in other words a truck of waste every minute. Plastics remain present for up to 450 years, and the small fragments never truly disappear completely. Avoiding and reducing marine litter is high on the national and international agenda.
*Estimated duration of degradation to basic fragments. This is often not (yet) a degradation to mineral or organic components that the environment can absorb again.
Illustration : FPS Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment - Source: NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) / Woods Hole Sea Grant, United States in "How long until it's gone?" (https://earthrespect.wordpress.com/2015/09/17/how-long-until-its-gone)