[turk183]

Let's be honest about the plastic in the oceans: It is not first world countries causing most of the problem. Ships do drop their trash in the ocean, that needs to stop, and we're all guilty to some degree, but if you want to stop the worst of the pollution you have to go to the Far East, Latin America, and Africa.

[blunte]

Actually that's not correct. The first world consumer society demands and consumes a lot of products - products made with plastic, packed in plastic, handed out in plastic bags, bottled in plastic, etc.

We buy, then toss (trash bin, recycle bin, or on the ground) the packaging and even old/broken bits we no longer need.

Certainly the developing world needs some education and behavior changes to limit their impact, but we have much responsibility ourselves.

And our trash/recycling is often shipped to their lands - then stored, dumped, or otherwise "recycled" poorly. Weather events or just poor planning allow some of that waste to end up in water systems.