More plastic in our oceans than stars in our galaxy? let that scare you, just enough

Ocean plastic was first reported in the 1960s, ironically discovered by a device meant to collect plankton. By the 1990s, the problem had worsened, and today, an estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean annually. Without intervention, this could triple by 2040, posing severe risks to marine ecosystems and human health. Plastics harm wildlife through ingestion, entanglement, and pollution, while microplastics carry carcinogenic contaminants that enter our food, soil, and water.

Only 10% of plastic is recycled; the rest is burned or discarded, emitting greenhouse gases and impacting the economy, with losses estimated at $6-19 billion.