Plastic Water Bottle Floating in Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica, California, USA (Photo by: Citizen of ... [+] the Planet/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

More than three quarters of Americans are increasingly frustrated that plastic waste generated in the United States ends up in oceans, according to a new survey.

The survey by the WWF in association with Corona Insights found a total of 85% of Americans said the situation was either “very” or “moderately” frustrating.

And when it comes to the environmental challenges posed by plastic waste, 86% of respondents said they were most concerned about its impact on marine life, while more than three quarters (76%) were concerned about the impact on water quality.

The survey results have been published to coincide with World Oceans Day (8 June).

The overwhelming majority (86%) agreed that the recycling system in the United States needs improvement, and a similar number (84%) said the economy needs to embrace reusing and recycling plastics.

The survey also found three quarters of respondents believe that none or only a small portion of the plastic generated in the United States actually gets recycled.

But three quarters of respondents also expressed a desire to recycle more of their plastic waste, with 78% saying they wanted to see more plastic products that can be reused and 75% calling for less plastic packaging.

It also found that more Americans now want Congress to prioritize addressing pollution from plastic pollution, compared to two years ago.

The survey found 23% of respondents see it as a top-five-issue that Congress should address, which is up from 16% in 2020.

Nearly one third of Hispanic respondents chose addressing plastic waste pollution as a top five issue, while Democratic learning respondents tended to choose it more than Republican-leaning respondents.

And the survey also found nearly 50% of Americans had a positive impression of returnable container programs. Plus, the majority of respondents said they would be likely to try such a program if it was offered at a store or restaurant they frequently visit.

The WWF’s head of plastic waste and business, Erin Simon said the new polling shows “that not only are Americans in tune with the scope of our plastic waste problem in the US, they’re also ready and willing to take action and think companies and policymakers should do the same”.

The WWF has also released its new Policy Guidance: Circular Economy for Packaging in the United States to make it easier for policymakers to understand the scope of the plastic waste problem in the U.S. and the actions needed to fix it.

The WWF’s senior program officer - plastic policy advocacy, Anthony Tusino added Americans are “frustrated” and want to find ways to solve the plastic waste crisis.

“Americans policymakers are aware of the problem, but need the tools to help establish and implement policies that will lead to an overhaul of the way we’ve traditionally managed plastic waste in our country,” he added.

“This guidance was developed to do exactly that – provide a roadmap to enable a circular economy that works at the local, state and national level. Together we can identify solutions and create a future where plastic no longer ends up in nature.”