This story is part of Planet or Plastic?—our multiyear effort to raise awareness about the global plastic waste crisis. Learn what you can do to reduce your own single-use plastics. Read this ...

While it has been relatively straightforward for researchers to document the threat to animals who become entangled in plastic and drown, determining the impact of consumed plastic is much harder.

A survey for Keep Britain Tidy found 1 in 5 people admitted to leaving litter on the beach Plastic kills fish and sea animals and takes hundreds of years to break down. Matthew Capper from the ...