Litter is found in all the world's seas and the ocean, even in remote areas far from human activities. The continuous growth in the amount of solid waste thrown away and the very slow degradation rate of most litter items result in the accumulation of marine litter at sea, on the sea floor and in coastal areas. Marine litter is a major global environmental problem which the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been actively addressing through the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) as well as the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans. This paper addresses the questions on plastic materials being used as PCCP ingredients, as well as which ingredients are relevant for the marine litter debate. It also aims to introduce an emerging marine litter-related issue for further discussion and possible action by stakeholders.
