Plastic Sinks in Our Watershed

While public awareness has been growing about the buildup of plastic debris in our oceans, few people realize that many types of plastics sink in water. Marine debris studies consistently show that plastics account for 60-80% of litter collected. Few studies however have been conducted on quantities of plastic debris on the seafloor or in sediments.

If more than half of plastic made in the United States sinks, then how much plastic trash is embedded in the sediment of our lakes, rivers, wetlands, estuaries and near shore environment?

For more information, read the full report, "Study of Plastic Accumulation in the Sediment of Three Southern California Rivers".