“Marine debris, particularly plastic waste, is a direct consequence of modern unchecked consumerism and its relentless push for mass production and disposability. The consumerist mindset prioritizes convenience over sustainability, flooding oceans with single-use plastics that never truly disappear. These materials, manufactured for profit with little regard for environmental consequences, now circulate through ocean currents. When anything is wasted, it isn’t just the item itself that is lost- water, energy, labor, time and transportation that go into producing it are wasted too. Modern consumer culture thrives on detachment from consequences.”