Cigarette butts were the most abundant debris item collected in 1995. The U.S. produced six billion tons of plastic disposable packaging in 1986. Plastic package manufacturing increases four to six percent each year. The U.S. produces twice as much plastic as it does steel, copper and aluminum - combined. Plastic production has doubled since 1975.
Oil is the main ingredient of plastic.
An extremely high incidence of young turtles fall prey to ingested plastics. Young turtles commonly mistake floating debris for food. About 30,000 northern fur seals die each year from getting tangled in lost nets and plastic debris. This represents a four to eight percent decrease in the population each year. About 12,000 turtles die as a result.