School of akule in Hawai'i ocean waters

Media Fact Sheets

We are committed to evidence-based solutions to ocean threats.

Below you’ll find fact sheets on a range of issues across Ocean Conservancy’s conservation work, curated by our experts and sortable by topic. Please direct any feedback or questions to media contacts page.

Microplastics Facts & Figures

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic between 100nm and 5mm in size. Learn about the types, prevalence, and impact of microplastics on both human health and the environment.

Plastics and Climate Change

99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, and plastics are expected to make up to 20% of global oil demand by 2050. Learn more about the connection between plastics and climate change.

Ghost Gear at a Glance

Abandoned, lost and otherwise discarded fishing gear is the deadliest form of plastic pollution to ocean animals. Learn more about this often misunderstood and underreported issue.
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Microfibers Fact Sheet

Here you can find facts and figures on the impact of microfiber pollution: the most prominent form of microplastics in the environment and ingested by animals.

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The U.S. Plastic Pact’s List of Problematic Plastics

In 2021, the U.S. Plastics Pact released a list of problematic plastics and plastics additives to eliminate from packaging, including PVC, polystyrene (foam) and more. See the list and under…

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Defining What is Plastics Recycling and What is Not

We need plastics recycling to work if we want to fix the ocean plastics crisis. Don’t be fooled by fancy words like pyrolysis, gasification or chemical recycling. Learn the differences here.

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Foodware and Ocean Plastic Pollution

Ocean Conservancy data show that most of the plastics polluting our beaches and waterways are food and beverage packaging. And plastics show up in our food chain more than you probably think…

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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Ocean Plastic Pollution

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a huge uptick in plastic pollution. Here’s everything we know—including topline data from Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup—on personal protectiv…

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Plastics and Climate Change

99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, and plastics are expected to make up to 20% of global oil demand by 2050. Learn more about the connection between plastics and climate change.

Download 
PDF

Ghost Gear at a Glance

Abandoned, lost and otherwise discarded fishing gear is the deadliest form of plastic pollution to ocean animals. Learn more about this often misunderstood and underreported issue.

Download 
PDF

Microplastics Facts & Figures

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic between 100nm and 5mm in size. Learn about the types, prevalence, and impact of microplastics on both human health and the environment.

Download 
PDF

The United States’ Contribution to Ocean Plastic Pollution

This fact sheet includes takeaways from a landmark 2020 paper co-authored by Ocean Conservancy scientists. It was published in peer-reviewed journal Science Advances and shows that the Unite…

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