Report of the Interagency Task Force on Persistent Marine Debris

Most discarded plastic products end up in landfills or are burned. However, unknown amounts end up as litter on land and in marine and estuarine waters. Plastic products in oceans come from several sources: discarded trash from ships; fishing gear that has been accidentally lost or intentionally discarded; trash left by beach goers or tossed over the side by recreational boaters; effluent in rivers which carry plastic and other debris into estuaries and oceans; and sewage treatment systems, especially in times of heavy storm runoff.