I don't think earbuds make up a significant percentage of the patch
Cheap and disposable plastics and electronics IS a significant part of the world garbage problem and yes, plastic particles is MOST of the garbage patch specifically.
be here virtue signaling and shaming people for what they were encouraged to do by corporate greed
Whoa, dude, hold your horses! I'm in no way blaming consumers. Making consumer electronics cheap crap that breaks easily and everything of decent quality prohibitively expensive is 100% on the greedy corporations, not their victims the consumers.
Your source says the great majority of the patch comes from agriculture and fishing.
Ok, admittedly a poor choice of example. Doesn't invalidate my intended point though, however ill-stated heh