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#1 There is 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste on EarthIt is estimated that 8.3bn tonnes of plastic has been produced to date. Of this, 6.3bn tonnes of plastic is now waste – a majority of which, some 79 per cent, is in landfill or the natural environment.

#4 Plastic will outweigh fish by 2050It is estimated that there is now a 1:2 ratio of plastic to plankton and, left unchecked, plastic will outweigh fish by 2050.

#2 Plastics take up to 1000 years to decomposeA nappy will stay on Earth for 450 years, which is over five times the average life expectancy of someone in Britain. Fishing line, which poses dangers to sea life, takes an even longer time to biodegrade. It is estimated to stay on Earth for as long as 600 years.

#5 Plastic BeachesPlastic pollution can now be found on every beach in the world, from busy tourist beaches to uninhabited, tropical islands.

The Marine Conservation Society found 718 pieces of rubbish for every 100m stretch of beach in Britain. Litter from foods and drinks, usually used just once and thrown away, made up at least 20% of all of the rubbish.

#3 Approximately 10m tonnes of plastic ends up in the oceans each yearIn 2010 scientists from the National Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis and the University of Georgia in Athens estimated the figure as 8m tonnes.

#6 Plastic waste gyresPlastic waste accumulates in areas of the ocean where winds create swirling circular currents, known as gyres. Gyres suck in any floating debris, which fragments into smaller and smaller pieces which eventually end up microscopic but never truly go away. There may now be around 5.25 trillion macro and microplastic pieces floating in the open ocean. Weighing up to 269,000 tonnes

#10 Where does UK ocean plastic waste come from?The origin of a lot of the litter is difficult to trace, but the public contributes about 30%. "Sewage-related debris", or items flushed down toilets that should have been put in the bin, amounted to some 8.5%.

#7 Plastic is harmful to marine lifeMarine life can become entangled in plastic bags and other debris, or mistake plastic for food. Plastic can damage the digestive systems of sea birds and whales, and can be potentially fatal. A Cuvier's beaked whale washed up on the beach of Skye in 2015 had over FOUR KILOGRAMS of carrier bags in its stomach!

Over time, plastic waste slowly degrades and breaks down into tiny micro-fragments which are also causing scientists concern.

#8 Plastic in Marine lifeRecent studies have revealed marine plastic pollution in 100% of marine turtles, 59% of whales, 36% of seals and 40% of seabird species examined

Plymouth University found that plastic was found in a third of UK-caught fish, including cod, haddock, mackerel and shellfish.

This can result in malnutrition or starvation for the fish, and lead to plastic ingestion in humans too.

#9 Effect on humansThe effect on humans of eating fish containing plastic is still largely unknown.

But in 2016 the European Food Safety Authority warned of an increased risk to human health and food safety "given the potential for micro-plastic pollution in edible tissues of commercial fish".

What can we do about it?

Reduce: Try to reduce the amount of waste you produce Many products can be bought loose and in less packaging Avoid buying mini portions of food such as cereals, jam and

coffee on a regular basis Use a 'bag for life' Buy re-useable products instead of disposable ones, like

rechargeable batteries Avoid buying single use plastic products like disposable coffee

cups, water/juice in plastic bottles, plastic straws, etc

Reuse: Think of ways you could reuse something, like shredding paper

for your hamster rather than buying bedding or saving glass jars for storage

Buy products made from recycled materials e.g. toilet/kitchen rolls

Take your reusable bags with you to the shops Donate unwanted clothing and small household items to charity

shops Reuse folders rather than buy new ones Use scrap paper to take notes and messages

Recycle: compost your garden waste and vegetable peelings or take your

garden waste to a recycling centre Use local recycling facilities such as glass bottle banks, plastic

bottle banks, can banks, shoe banks, textile banks etc Participate in any recycling service your district or borough

council may offer from your home Choose products that come in packaging which you know can be

recycled