Marine litter and waste have been found at all ocean depths (Pham et al. 2014) and in the most remote islands (Lavers & Bond, 2017) and form one of the most important contemporary issues facing the marine environment. Growing awareness of the impacts of marine plastics (Bergmann et al., 2015), together with concerns over the environmental effects of cruise ships, especially in relation to sewage discharge (Hall et al., 2017), has meant that marine waste has gained a high media profile and generated substantial public awareness and concern. Three-quarters of all marine litter is composed of plastic and this has become a focus for government and consumer action (UNEP, 2019). However, it is important to note that although there is growing awareness of plastics in the marine environment, and particularly their impact on wildlife and beach composition, the reality is that the predominance of plastics in marine litter is not necessarily the result of relatively more plastics compared to other waste in the oceans, but its durability (Andrady, 2015).