Beachgoer shares disturbing photo of items uncovered along Oregon coast: "I can't figure out what they are 'supposed' to be"

An Oregonian invited fellow Redditors to play a surprisingly challenging game of "I spy" with collected debris from a coastal beach. 

They shared the striking collection of plastic waste they gathered at the beach in an image posted to the r/Anticonsumption community.

"Some are obvious but some I can't figure out what they are 'supposed' to be," they assessed.

In the column of things they could figure out, they identified "a plastic fork, a cork, a toothbrush handle, shotgun shell, dog collar link, plastic bottle caps galore, fishing plastics, and a coat hanger hook."

While the OP's exercise provided a little bit of levity to the situation, the scenario on the ground is grave for the planet.

Each year, approximately 11 million tons of plastic enter the ocean, according to Surfers Against Sewage. That is extremely dangerous for marine life like fish, sea turtles, and more. They can inadvertently ingest plastic, mistake it for food, or get trapped in it. The World Wildlife Fund estimates 100,000 marine mammals die every year from those causes.

The pace and severity of the plastic crisis in the oceans are also worsening. Studies reveal microplastic pollution is going deeper and lasting for decades on end in oceans. There are predictions, like one by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, that plastic in the ocean will outweigh fish by 2050.

More responsible behavior by visitors at beaches or in nearby areas can help slow the speed of the plastic takeover. Cleanup efforts by organizations and individuals are another way to block the litter from getting out of our reach.

Of course, any strategy against plastic pollution starts with using less plastic to begin with. Items the OP picked up, like plastic bottle caps and forks, are among those that consumers can look to avoid, and certainly dispose of properly if they do use them.

The OP did such a commendable job of picking out items that they'd collected that the community was more predisposed to applaud their efforts than solve for any of the mystery items.

How concerned are you about the plastic waste in our oceans? Extremely 😫 I'm pretty concerned 😥 A little 😟 Not much 😕 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Thanks for picking up all that crap," a user wrote.

"Make it into art or something," a different Redditor suggested.

A viewer marveled at the amount of plastic fishing waste: "Egads, an unholy haul!"

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