Throw a plastic bottle into the sea, or leave it on the beach after a picnic, and it will still be around in the middle of this millennium. Even a paper bus ticket will take weeks to disintegrate. Rubbish does break down at sea, but as the table shows it can take a surprisingly long time to do so.
	Time taken for objects to dissolve at sea Paper bus ticket 2-4 weeks Cotton cloth 1-5 months Rope 3-14 months Woollen cloth 1 year Painted wood 13 years Tin can 100 years Aluminium can 200-500 years Plastic bottle 450 years
	Source: Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA)
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