If you needed more proof that plastic dumped into the ocean sticks around for a troublingly long time, look no further than this Alaskan boy's remarkable find.
MSNBC reports that 12-year-old Emmitt Andersen discovered a piece of orange plastic while beach-combing at Sealion Cove, Alaska, that had been adrift for 33 years.
According to the Alaskan newspaper Daily Sitka Sentinel, the card turned out to be one among thousands released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the late 1970s and 1980s as part of a study on ocean currents.
Andersen reportedly had the option of cashing in on his discovery, as the card included instructions in 3 languages notifying the finder of a $1 reward. The piece of plastic turned up in such good shape that the card's serial number was still legible.
"After 33 years in the ocean, [it] is in quite readable condition," oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer told MSNBC. "Plastic doesn't degrade very fast."
Watch the report in the video above for more.
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