#reep

With background plots building on Lyle's childhood and his time in earthgov.

Worldwide production of plastic now exceeds 8,000 million metric tons, and more than 10 million tons enter the oceans annually. With the exception of concrete and steel, plastics are now the most common manmade material, and because they undergo limited degradation, they continue to impact ecosystems long after they are disposed of.

Marine plastic pollution has documented impacts on marine organisms, and the use of chemical additives in plastics also poses a potential threat to human health. While desirable, recycling of plastics is currently constrained by material and chemical complexity, technology limitations, and market demands. With more than 80% of marine litter currently made up by plastics, instating efficient recycling options has become more important than ever. Plastic waste may be a relatively new problem, but it is likely to become one of the biggest threats to marine ecosystems in the coming years. Read more in the Review of Environmental Economics and Policy.