Clearly, this failure is not confined to plastics production and use, but is symptomatic of a more pervasive tendency, of pursuing economic growth whilst neglecting the impact on ecosystems and society (Turner and Fisher, 2008). Current economic models tend to measure economic success in terms of the rate of economic growth (e.g. GDP), with less attention paid to the extent to which consumption patterns and societal demands are sustainable in the longer term. This will influence, in turn, the direction on technological innovation, political decisions (e.g. trade agreements), product design, consumer demand, waste generation and treatment. Unfortunately, there has been a failure of the market economy to take into account environmental externalities, in this case the social, ecological and economic impacts of marine litter. The current ‘plastic economy’ has been characterised by a linear pattern of production and consumption, generating unprecedented volumes of waste, which ultimately is very inefficient economically (Figure 5.1, Defra 2011, WEF/EMF/ MCKINSEY 2016). Leakage of plastic to the ocean can occur at every stage in this process, and the response has been generally patchy and ineffective.