The ever-increasing volume of trash, litter, and debris entering inland waterways, coastal waters, and oceans presents a challenge to water quality and habitat protection that warrants attention. Trash has become a pervasive problem in these environments, causing aesthetic blight, ecological effects, economic impacts, and possible human health risks. Land-based sources account for a majority of trash in the ocean and coastal environments. Land-based trash that is disposed of improperly can enter freshwater and coastal ecosystems and eventually make its way to the ocean. EPA has established the national Trash Free Waters (TFW) program to encourage collaborative actions by public and private stakeholders to prevent trash from entering water (http: //water.epa.gov/type/oceb/marinedebris/). Through EPA analysis, communication, policy and program development, and support for strategic planning, the Agency can be a catalyst for proactive prevention and reduction actions by government, businesses, and citizens to keep trash out of water. Aquatic trash consists of many different types of products and materials, including commonly found plastic items such as bags, bottles, food containers and wrappers, and service ware. In the marine environment, plastic trash is associated with direct impacts on marine life via strangulation, ingestion, or other physical harm. In addition to these impacts, there is a growing concern about the potential for microplastic particles (plastic trash broken into smaller pieces) and their associated toxic chemicals to contribute to human health risks as the microplastics and toxics move through the marine food web. Plastic particles are widely distributed in the surface waters and sediments of oceans. Microplastics have the potential to both sorb and desorb chemicals in the marine environment; these chemicals may be persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT). Toxic impacts on marine species due to ingestion of plastic particles are not well understood, but are being explored. There also is scientific uncertainty about the potential for bioaccumulation of PBTs from microplastics in the marine food web and for risks to human health due to contaminated seafood consumption