Plastic floatsam and jetsam “Fairy Liquid”

The “Plastic Age” began in the wake of economic mobilisation for World War II and was bolstered by a robust postwar consumer culture. Among the material’s positive attributes is the fact that it is lightweight, pliable, waterproof and durable. This longevity is part of a paradox central to the characteristics of plastic materials: They are designed to be incredibly durable as well as easily disposable. Half of all the plastic produced each year is for single-use items. Today some 8 million tons of plastic enter the world’s oceans each year. Over 100,000 marine mammals and 1,000,000 sea birds die annually after becoming injured by plastic or mistaking it for food.