Plastic is almost inescapable in our daily lives. It’s used to make everything from food packaging to toiletries, clothing, furniture, computers and cars. This material is designed to be very durable – and as a result plastic can take between a few decades to millions of years to disintegrate in landfill. Consequently, unless it’s burned, which itself causes pollution, nearly every piece of plastic ever manufactured still exists today – and when it enters the ocean, its effects can be felt for centuries.