In an effort to combat the rise of plastic pollution, the report recommends the major response be to prevent plastic from entering the ocean at all. It recommends introducing new biodegradable plastics and increasing public awareness campaigns about marine protection to address the “out of sight, out of mind challenge.”

The report also identified other key areas where “the marine environment is facing unprecedented change as a result of direct human activity and climate change.”

Biodegradable plastics are not the solution.  Biodegradation is digestion by microbes.   The microbes that digest plastic in landfills do not live in the sea.   A water soluble plastic is probably not the answer either it will dissolve into many chemicals the manufacturers would use and that would then be worse.

Stopping is the only answer.   We can stop it as individuals by not using any single use plastic.   That would make a huge difference.   We know the few countries responsible for most of the plastic production.  They need to stop it even if it hurts their economy in the short term.  How does one country influence how another country to run its economy?   Puts import tariffs on those problem plastic goods.