How Lost Shipping Containers Factor Into The Global Ocean Pollution Problem

For years, claims have persisted that the shipping industry significantly pollutes global waterways by losing containers overboard and arguably no example was higher profile than the Garfield phones case. It took decades to solve the mystery of the novelty item, modeled after the popular orange cartoon character, that continuously washed up on French beaches from a shipping container lost at sea.

Which begs the question: Are wayward containers polluting global waterways at alarming rates?