Study: Take-out food, drink litter make up vast majority of plastics in oceans

What they found: Researchers collected data on litter across seven major aquatic environments. The findings, which the Guardian called the "most comprehensive study to date," show that just 10 plastic products — including plastic lids and fishing items — comprise 75% of all items polluting the seas.

• Single-use bags, plastic bottles, food containers and food wrappers, in particular, dominate global ocean litter.
• Litter was most highly concentrated in shorelines and sea floors near coasts, where litter regularly accumulated due to winds and waves.
• "The world differences in the composition of the nearshore litter sink reflected socioeconomic drivers, with a reduced relative weight of single-use items in high-income countries," noted the study, which was funded by the BBVA Foundation and Spanish science ministry.

What they're saying: Identifying the sources of ocean plastic is the first step toward reducing litter, the study's authors told the Guardian. They recommended bans on avoidable single-use plastic bags and require producers to take more responsibility for collection and safe disposal of more essential plastic products.

The big picture: Plastic production is expected to double in the next two decades, according to the World Economic Forum.

• Of note: The Department of Energy announced last month it will invest up to $14.5 million in research and development to help reduce single-use plastic waste.

Go deeper... Deep Dive: Our plastic planet