Their aim was to see if a new initiative to enlist businesses where people can refill empty bottles with tap water was making a dent in the trash littering the pavement, says marine biologist Heather Koldewey, who oversaw the research.
In the long run scientists need to devise ways to break plastic down into its most basic units, which can be rebuilt into new plastics or other materials.
Because they are used for convenience, not necessity, they are easier to do without, and the polymers used to make them are among the most commonly produced and found in the environment.
Koldewey’s own campaign to reduce the use of bottled water in London, called #OneLess, studied possible locations for placing refilling kiosks that would get the most use, such as public transportation hubs.
But plastic, including some of the same polymers found in single-use packaging, is also used in construction, electronics and fabrics.
One key aspect of improving recycling, some experts say, is designing products so they are easier to recycle.
Curtailing the use of plastic and improving recycling and waste systems would put a major dent in the plastics entering the environment, but not every plastic is easily recyclable and some will still likely make their way into rivers, soil and seas.
In the long term some scientists think changing the very nature of the material and the methods of recycling it could be the ultimate solution to the plastic problem.
For years materials scientists have been trying to create plastics that will biodegrade.
Such a method would take a PET bottle, for example, and break it down into its most basic molecules, separating out added chemicals to provide the building blocks to remake virgin polymers.