The world has produced more than eight billion metric tons of plastic since around 1950. And the vast majority of that – almost 80 percent of it – has ended up in landfills or out in the environment. In fact, millions of tons of plastic waste enter the ocean each year, and tiny pieces of plastic have been found in the stomachs or tissues of turtles, birds, fish, and whales. Now, researchers from McGill University are turning this story upside down.