An image circulating on social media shows a candy bar wrapper that dates back to 1986 or earlier and was recently washed up on the beach.
The image seems to be circulating again recently, which is why we received several inquiries about this status message and the image on Facebook: A Mars packaging with an expiration date of 1986 printed on it.

For those in a hurry:
It is impossible to determine whether the outer packaging really floated in the sea for 33 years or was disposed of later. However, there should be no doubt that this outer packaging was found during a beach cleanup and that there is definitely a problem with plastic waste in the world's oceans.
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Who found the Mars packaging?
The original image comes from the Facebook page “Beach Guardian” and was published there on May 10, 2019. According to his own information, a Beach Guardian member named Emily found this outer packaging:
https://www.facebook.com/BeachGuardian/posts/2236658303314936
The Beach Guardians is a group based in Cornwall, Great Britain. This regularly carries out beach cleaning. This is mainly about the rubbish that was washed up with the flood.
Was more old trash found?
However! Finds such as the Mars packaging with long-ago expiry dates are regularly published on the group's official Facebook page, such as this bag of chips, the contents of which expired in 1992.
https://www.facebook.com/BeachGuardian/posts/2213306738983426:0
With these images and also the beach cleanups, the group has already achieved greater media interest; on January 11, 2018, an article about Beach Guardian's activities appeared in the Daily Telegraph. Included: a photo of a 21-year-old package that washed up on the beach ( compare ).
Doesn't that rot?
No, plastic does not rot, it breaks down into small pieces. Into many small pieces, which continue to drift through the sea as tiny particles (compare 1 , 2 , 3 ). And depending on the condition, this can take a very long time; for a simple plastic bag, we assume 10-20 years.
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Conclusion
It is impossible to determine whether the outer packaging really floated in the sea for 33 years or was disposed of later. However, there should be no doubt that Beach Guardian found this outer packaging during a beach cleanup and that there is definitely a problem with plastic waste in the world's oceans.
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

