The hidden risks of shipping containers: What happens to cargo that gets lost in the ocean?

Shipping containers are large metal boxes used to transport goods around the world. Sometimes these containers fall off ships and get lost at sea.

Bigger ships and inaccurate labeling of cargo have made it more likely for containers to be lost. It's difficult to know exactly how many containers are lost because not all losses are reported.

One group estimates that thousands of containers are lost each year, but this doesn't include all losses. Lost containers can harm the environment, releasing plastic and chemicals into the ocean.

For example, a ship that sank off the coast of Sri Lanka released plastic pellets and toxic chemicals, killing marine life and harming fishing communities. The full impact of lost containers is often not known because companies don't have to share information about losses.

New rules are being put in place to require ships to report lost containers, but it's unclear if these rules will be followed. The shipping industry is looking for ways to prevent containers from being lost in the first place.