As much as 12.7m metric tons of plastic enter the world’s oceans each year. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2050 there could be more plastic in the sea than fish.

It’s clear that waste ends up in marine habitats from many different sources, from inefficient industrial waste management to plastic microfibers washed out of our clothing. But it’s less clear what the end result might be for human health.

All that plastic isn’t just floating about, breaking down into increasingly microplastic particles and creating an unsightly mess: it’s also getting eaten by marine life.

Fish appear to be “stuffing themselves” on plastic, which is coated in bacteria and algae, mimicking their natural food sources. Mistaking the small particles for a high energy snack, fish gobble up most small plastic particles, according to recent research.

Much of that plastic ends up in the guts of fish and other marine life, and ultimately on our dinner table.