low on the priority list. The issue of waste is similar to that of air pollution in this sense. Eventually, people reach a stage of development where their priorities tip. In the early stages, people are willing to accept waste. It’s not nice, but it’s a trade-off they’ll accept in return for having the benefits those materials bring. Then, further down the line, people realise they want waste-free rivers and shorelines. They expect local councils to have a plan to collect and manage the city’s waste. When that transition happens, plastic stops leaking into the ocean. It’s as simple as that.
