The volume of microplastics entering the ocean every year from paint coming off steel surfaces could be as high as 2.25m tonnes, according to the calculation from a company that has a system to help cut that figure.

If Norway’s Pinovo is right, it amounts to the equivalent of up to 225bn empty plastic bottles.

That shocking statistic alongside a desire to improve maintenance on its vessels prompted Klaveness Combination Carriers to start using Pinovo’s vacuum-cleaning technology on one of its ships.