People are the solution. No matter where it began, human hands and a human face lie behind every piece of garbage that enters the marine environment. The responsibility for this world-wide problem does not belong solely to shipping companies, fishing fleets, and governments. Ultimately, some individual had to throw that trash overboard, into the street, down the toilet, or into the storm drain. People are the problem, but people are also the solution.
Marine debris is one pollution problem that individuals can solve by direct, individual action.
The Cleanup is about individual solutions to a global problem. An estimated 14 billion pounds of debris were once dumped into the ocean every year. Merchant ships alone jettisoned 5.5 million containers into the sea every day. But laws alone are not enough to stop pollution before it begins. Compliance, enforcement, and education are crucial components of long-term trash reduction.