Most plastics can only be recycled once, at which point they are normally converted into clothing or some other commodity which can’t be recycled again. This means that once the second item reaches the end of its lifespan, so too does the original plastic – and it ends up in a landfill. Due to its long-lasting properties, it doesn’t break down in the atmosphere and remains there for many, many years. While much of this plastic is sent to landfill, a significant percentage of it finds its way into our oceans and seas; in fact, some estimates state that we dump around 12 million tons of the stuff into our waterways every year. This poses a significant problem for marine life, which already has to cope with a myriad number of manmade threats, such as blue green algae, overfishing of waters, coral bleaching and other effects of climate change. Credit: THE SWIM
