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Amaral, K. (2008). //whoi.com//. Retrieved from [] Facts
 * 1) But when plastic reaches our waters, whether it be plastic bags or drifting fish nets, it poses a threat to the animals that depend on the oceans for food.
 * 2) Before the days of plastic, when fishermen dumped their trash overboard or lost a net, it consisted of natural materials--metal, cloth or paper that would either sink to the bottom or biodegrade quickly.
 * 3) But plastic remains floating on the surface, the same place where many genuine food sources lie--and can remain so for 400 years. Plastic is durable and strong--precisely the qualities that make it so dangerous if it reaches the ocean.
 * 4) In 1975, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that 14 billion pounds of garbage was being dumped into the ocean every year.
 * 5) More than 85% of this trash was estimated to come from the world's merchant shipping fleet in the form of cargo-associated wastes
 * 6) Fortunately, since the last day of 1988, it has been illegal for ships to dump plastics into the ocean.
 * 7) But that law is difficult to enforce, and cannot account for the thousands of miles of driftnets and other gear set by fishermen, which can ensnare and kill birds diving for the fish below, or come loose, only to be discovered later by an unfortunate humpback whale.
 * 8) Perhaps the most effective method right now for solving the persistent plastic problem is beach cleaning.
 * 9) The plastics industry has also stepped in, taking measures to reclaim plastic resin pellets that often get lost during production or transport.
 * 10) The Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act (MARPOL) went into effect on December 31, 1988, making it illegal for any U.S. vessel or land-based operation to dispose of plastics at sea.
 * 11) During the 1993 coastal cleanup, over 3.1 million pounds of trash was collected--more than half of that was plastic.
 * 12) Perhaps the most effective method right now for solving the persistent plastic problem is beach cleaning
 * 13) Look for alternative materials or avoid excessive packaging when deciding on purchases
 * 14) Plastic bags are the leading external cause of marine engine damage in Massachusetts
 * 15) Plastics manufacturers are also investigating ways to create "degradable" plastics. Although all materials eventually break down, a plastic soda ring can take up to 400 years to biodegrade. So researchers are working with two types of degradable plastics: photodegradable and biodegradable.