Marine plastic pollution

Over 400 million tons of plastic are produced every year for use in a wide variety of applications.
At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year, and plastic makes up 80% of all
marine debris found from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.
Marine species ingest or are entangled by plastic debris, which causes severe injuries and death.
Plastic pollution threatens food safety and quality, human health, coastal tourism, and contributes to
climate change.
There is an urgent need to explore new and existing legally binding agreements to address marine
plastic pollution.
What is the issue ?
Plastic is a synthetic organic polymer made from petroleum with properties ideally suited for a wide
variety of applications including: packaging, building and construction, household and sports
equipment, vehicles, electronics and agriculture. Over 400 million tons of plastic are produced every
year, half of which is used to create single-use items such as shopping bags, cups and straws. If
discarded improperly, plastic waste can harm the environment and biodiversity.
At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year. Plastic debris is currently the most
abundant type of litter in the ocean, making up 80% of all marine debris found from surface waters
to deep-sea sediments. Plastic is found on the shorelines of every continent, with more plastic waste
found near popular tourist destinations and densely populated areas.
The main sources of plastic debris found in the ocean are land-based, coming from urban and
stormwater runoff, sewer overflows, littering, inadequate waste disposal and management, industrial
activities, tyre abrasion, construction and illegal dumping. Ocean-based plastic pollution originates
primarily from the fishing industry, nautical activities and aquaculture.
Under the influence of solar UV radiation, wind, currents and other natural factors, plastic breaks
down into small particles called microplastics (particles smaller than 5 mm) or nanoplastics (particles
smaller than 100 nm). The small size makes them easy for marine life to ingest accidentally.
Many countries lack the infrastructure to prevent plastic pollution such as: sanitary landfills;
incineration facilities; recycling capacity and circular economy infrastructure; proper management
and disposal of waste systems. This leads to ‘plastic leakage’ into rivers and the ocean. The legal and
illegal global trade of plastic waste may also damage ecosystems, where waste management systems
are not sufficient to contain plastic waste.
Why is it important ?
Plastic pollution is a widespread problem affecting the marine environment. It threatens ocean
health, the health of marine species, food safety and quality, human health, coastal tourism, and
contributes to climate change.
Impacts on marine ecosystems
The most visible impacts of plastic debris are the ingestion, suffocation and entanglement of
hundreds of marine species. Marine wildlife such as seabirds, whales, fish and turtles mistake plastic
waste for prey; most then die of starvation as their stomachs become filled with plastic. They also
suffer from lacerations, infections, reduced ability to swim, and internal injuries. Floating plastics also
help transport invasive marine species, thereby threatening marine biodiversity and the food web.
Impacts on food and human health
Microplastics have been found in tap water, beer, salt and are present in all samples collected in the
world’s oceans, including the Arctic. Several chemicals used in the production of plastic materials are
known to be carcinogenic and to interfere with the body’s endocrine system, causing developmental,
reproductive, neurological, and immune disorders in both humans and wildlife. Recently,
microplastics were found in human placentas but more research is needed to determine if this is a
widespread problem.
Toxic contaminants also accumulate on the surface of plastic as a result of prolonged exposure to
seawater. When marine organisms ingest plastic debris, these contaminants enter their digestive
systems, and over time accumulate in the food web. The transfer of contaminants between marine
species and humans through consumption of seafood has been identified as a health hazard, and
research is ongoing.
Impacts on tourism
Plastic waste damages the aesthetic value of tourist destinations, leading to decreased income from
tourism. It also generates major economic costs related to the cleaning and maintenance of the sites.
The build-up of plastic litter on beaches can have a negative impact on a country’s economy, wildlife,
and the physical and psychological wellbeing of people.
Impacts on climate change
Plastic production contributes to climate change. If plastic waste is incinerated, it releases carbon
dioxide and methane (from landfills) into the atmosphere, thereby increasing emissions.
What can be done?
Efforts should be made to adhere to and strengthen existing international legislative frameworks that
address marine plastic pollution. The most important are the 1972 Convention on the Prevention of
Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter (the London Convention), the 1996 Protocol
to the London Convention (the London Protocol) and the 1978 Protocol to the International
Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).
Regional and national governments should also explore national legislative frameworks on Extended
Producer Responsibility. These are emerging as innovative, low-cost solutions, as are policies to
promote circular economies.
Governments, research institutions and industries need to work collaboratively to redesign products,
and rethink their use and disposal to reduce microplastic waste from pellets, synthetic textiles and
tyres. Consumers and society must shift to more sustainable consumption patterns. This will require
solutions which go beyond waste management and consider the whole lifecycle of plastic products;
from design to infrastructure, and household use.
More funding for research and innovation should be made available to provide policymakers,
manufacturers and consumers with the evidence needed to implement technological, behavioural
and policy solutions to address marine plastic pollution.
Methodologies to identify, measure and address marine plastic pollution sources and plastic leakage
are available, including from IUCN.

Why is it important ?
Plastic pollution is a widespread problem affecting the marine environment. It threatens ocean
health, the health of marine species, food safety and quality, human health, coastal tourism, and
contributes to climate change.
Impacts on marine ecosystems
The most visible impacts of plastic debris are the ingestion, suffocation and entanglement of
hundreds of marine species. Marine wildlife such as seabirds, whales, fish and turtles mistake plastic
waste for prey; most then die of starvation as their stomachs become filled with plastic. They also
suffer from lacerations, infections, reduced ability to swim, and internal injuries. Floating plastics also
help transport invasive marine species, thereby threatening marine biodiversity and the food web.
Impacts on food and human health
Microplastics have been found in tap water, beer, salt and are present in all samples collected in the
world’s oceans, including the Arctic. Several chemicals used in the production of plastic materials are
known to be carcinogenic and to interfere with the body’s endocrine system, causing developmental,
reproductive, neurological, and immune disorders in both humans and wildlife. Recently,
microplastics were found in human placentas but more research is needed to determine if this is a
widespread problem.
Toxic contaminants also accumulate on the surface of plastic as a result of prolonged exposure to
seawater. When marine organisms ingest plastic debris, these contaminants enter their digestive
systems, and over time accumulate in the food web. The transfer of contaminants between marine
species and humans through consumption of seafood has been identified as a health hazard, and
research is ongoing.
Impacts on tourism
Plastic waste damages the aesthetic value of tourist destinations, leading to decreased income from
tourism. It also generates major economic costs related to the cleaning and maintenance of the sites.
The build-up of plastic litter on beaches can have a negative impact on a country’s economy, wildlife,
and the physical and psychological wellbeing of people.
Impacts on climate change
Plastic production contributes to climate change. If plastic waste is incinerated, it releases carbon
dioxide and methane (from landfills) into the atmosphere, thereby increasing emissions.

Ocean plastic pollution an overview: data and statistics

Plastic is one of the most enduring materials man has created. Nowadays, we all know that it can
take hundreds of years for plastic to degrade, and research is showing that it is possible that it does
not even fully degrade, but becomes what we call microplastic.
Microplastics are tiny particles of plastic that can be eaten by marine animals and end up in their
bodies and tissues, entering the food chain and leading to disastrous consequences for the health of
our planet and all its inhabitants.
Even if human beings are becoming more and more aware of the hazards this material poses to life,
the presence of plastic in our ocean is continually increasing, and plastic pollution is still one of the
main causes of marine species extinction, health problems for human beings and animals alike, and
the destruction of our ecosystems.
In this article, we will look at ocean plastic pollution and lay out the data and statistics you need to
understand the daunting issue we are facing. Most importantly, we will also look at what we can do
as individuals and as part of our society to prevent plastic pollution and save our planet.
Let’s start!
Plastic Pollution in the Ocean: Where does it come from?
It is clear that plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues we are currently
facing, but how did it come to be? Moreover, where does all the plastic in the ocean come from?
Plastics produced from fossil fuels are just over a century old, but they revolutionized our life
completely. It allowed the invention of many life-saving devices and the implementation of new
technologies that changed the course of history.
However, the great advantages plastic offered led to a throwaway trend that made us discover
plastic’s dark side: the threat it poses to our environment and life.
The majority of plastic pollution in the ocean is caused by littering: we buy or use disposable plastic
items (food wrappings, plastic bags, razors, bottles, etc.) and do not dispose of them properly, which
cause them to end up in the waterways and eventually in the ocean.
Yet, not all-plastic waste in the ocean is an effect of littering: many plastics and microplastics are the
product of improper manufacturing processes and about 20% of the ocean’s plastic pollution comes
from industrial fishing.
Plastic Pollution: Key Facts
Plastic waste makes up 80% of all marine pollution and around 8 to 10 million metric tons of plastic
end up in the ocean each year.
Research states that, by 2050, plastic will likely outweigh all fish in the sea.
In the last ten years, we have produced more plastic products than in the previous century.
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has stated that basically 100% of all plastics human
beings have ever created are still in existence.
Plastic generally takes between 500-1000 years to degrade. Even then, it becomes microplastics,
without fully degrading.
Currently, there are about 50-75 trillion pieces of plastic and microplastics in the ocean.
This plastic either breaks down into microplastic particles (see below), or floats around and ends up
forming garbage patches.
Garbage Patches in the Ocean
Most of the plastic we find in the ocean comes from land: it flows downstream through rivers all the
way to the sea. At first, it may stay in coastal waters, but it can soon be picked up by rotating ocean
currents, called gyres, and transported literally anywhere in the world.
According to National Geographic, scientists found plastic coming from Russia, the United States,
Europe, South America, Japan, and China on Henderson Island, an uninhabited isolated atoll halfway
between Chile and New Zealand.
Usually, marine plastic debris groups up in what we call garbage patches, plastic accumulation areas,
in the center of the ocean’s gyres. The biggest is the Great Pacific garbage patch, located between
Hawaii and California.
Consequences
Today, plastic production and use is still at its highest, but the data on recycling are not at all
promising: only about 10% of the plastic we produce is currently being recycled. The rest is either
incinerated, causing air pollution, or it ends up in our oceans and environment.
Harm to Wildlife
Plastic pollution in the ocean has a devastating impact on marine life and ecosystems. The most
obvious one being the damage plastic items cause to animals when they come into contact with or
ingest them, which include suffocation, entanglement, laceration, infections and internal injuries.
17% of the species affected by the presence of plastic in the ocean are on the International Union for
Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
Yet, there are more problems related to plastic: floating plastic items can help transport invasive
species, which leads to threats for marine ecosystems, biodiversity and the food web.
Harm to Human Beings
As we explained above, microplastics have now become part of the food chain and have been found
everywhere: in drinking water, salt, beer and in the soil where we grow our vegetables.
Plastic materials are carcinogenic and can affect the body’s endocrine system, causing
developmental, neurological, reproductive and immune disorders. Another health hazard is given
by toxic contaminants that often accumulate on plastic’s surface, and are then transferred to humans
through the consumption of seafood.
Climate Change
Plastic pollution and climate change are two sides of the same coin: plastic production, as it is
created from fossil fuels, highly contributes to the climate crisis.
Moreover, as we already mentioned, when plastic waste is incinerated, it releases carbon dioxide
and methane into the atmosphere, increasing emissions and worsening global warming.
Economic effects
According to research, the yearly economic costs of plastic in the ocean are estimated to be between
$6-19bn USD. These costs are given by its impact on tourism, fisheries and aquaculture, and
(governmental) cleanups.
Images of Plastic Pollution in the Ocean
Here, we have decided to show you some recent images of plastic pollution in the ocean.
This will help you comprehend the magnitude of the threat that plastic pollution in the ocean poses
to our planet and life, as we know it, and hopefully help you develop a deeper awareness of what is
going on.
Why it is Vital to Prevent Plastic Pollution
Plastic pollution is undoubtedly an issue that requires worldwide cooperation. Its consequences
affect the whole planet and its inhabitants: it threatens ocean health, the health of marine species,
food safety and quality, human health, coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change.
Reducing the presence of plastic in our oceans will not only allow us to save marine species and
ecosystems, but will improve our overall health and that of the environment in general, helping us
fight climate change and working towards a more sustainable future.
How to Stop Plastic Pollution in the Ocean
It is quite hard to retrieve plastic from the ocean once it has entered it. New technologies allow us to
catch larger marine debris, but small plastic items and microplastics are virtually impossible to reach,
especially when they are deep in the ocean.
Therefore, many scientists and conservationists have declared that the best solution is to prevent
plastic waste from entering rivers and seas in the first place.
This could be accomplished with the improvement of our waste management systems and the
implementation of recycling. In addition, it is essential to reconsider the design and usage
of disposable packaging, and the reduction in manufacturing of unnecessary single-use plastics.
What Can We Do
There are many ways to keep plastic out of the ocean! Here are some strategies you can adopt and
share with your community:
Reduce plastic use
Think about all the plastic items you use in your daily life. Can you even count them all? Being more
aware of the way you use plastic is a great starting point to reduce plastic waste.
We know, habits are hard to change, but even a small individual commitment can make a difference
especially when talking about the single-use plastics we mentioned earlier which, according to data
from the European Parliament, are responsible for 49% of all marine pollution.
Here are some new habits you can take inspiration from:
Swap plastic bags for reusable ones, made of cloth or fiber.
Reduce the use of disposable plastic cups, plates, cutlery and bottles. For example, bring your own
reusable bottle to work and a reusable coffee cup for your morning take-away!)
Buy food and cleaning products in bulk to avoid useless plastic wrappings. Nowadays, there are
plenty of options to choose from, and many supermarkets let you fill your own jars/bags.
Choose metal or glass food containers and storage options instead of plastic ones.
Avoid buying and using cosmetics that contain plastic microspheres or microbeads.
Participate in (or organize!) a cleanup
If you live by a sea or river, you can volunteer to pick up litter in your local community, thus remove
plastics from the waterways and preventing them from getting to the ocean in the first place. There
are many organizations you can join, or simply do it on the weekend with your friends and family.
Every little helps!
Support the right legislation
Of course, it is essential to change our individual behaviors and habits, but unfortunately, this is not
sufficient to prevent and stop ocean plastic pollution. It is also essential that you support legislation
that aims at reducing the use and production of plastic, improve recycling facilities and better
manage waste in general.
Support research and organizations
One of the main weapons we can use to stop ocean pollution is research. By deepening our
knowledge of the effects of the issue, we can start implementing better policies for all.
There are many NGOs and non-profit that rely on donations to develop their projects and research
for reducing and eliminating plastic from the ocean.
Sylvia Earle, marine biologist, said: “It is the worst of times but it is the best of times because we still
have a chance.” So, let us make the best of this chance; we can all make choices to protect our
planet, it is not too late!

PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN

PLASTIC WASTE IS FLOODING OUR OCEANS. IT'S NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO REDUCE
OUR PLASTIC FOOTPRINT WORLDWIDE.
Twenty eighteen was the year of the plastic straw. News segments, think pieces, hot takes, and social
media posts declared plastic straws public enemy number one. The story had everything: a kid on a
mission against the corporate world, a gut-wrenching video of a sea turtle with a straw stuck in its
nose, an easy-to-understand and ubiquitous problem. We also had a clear resolution requiring hardly
any sacrifice: To save the environment, we just had to stop using plastic straws.
Cutting back or even banning single-use straws would certainly help keep them out of our oceans.
But would it be enough?
“Wouldn’t that be nice,” says Erin Simon, WWF’s director of sustainability research and
development, half laughing, half sighing. Simon is a materials scientist who has worked with some of
the world’s biggest corporations to find planet-friendly packaging solutions. And as it turns out, the
issue of plastic overrunning our environment is a bit more complicated than stra
Our plastic problem
The problem of plastic in nature, particularly in our oceans, is a global crisis. Every minute, about a
dump-truck load of plastic goes into the oceans, sullying beaches, hurting wildlife, and contaminating
our food supply.
“It's reached this public-awareness tipping point,” says Sheila Bonini, senior vice president of private
sector engagement at WWF. “Sometimes an issue can go on for a long time and nothing happens;
then, suddenly, boom! The world wakes up, and we have the opportunity to drive change.”
Yet eliminating all plastic from our lives is neither feasible nor desirable. Plastic has a lot of benefits,
environmental and otherwise: It keeps our food fresh so we waste less; it’s sterile; it’s durable. And,
once we’re done with it, it can be turned into something new. So how can we keep these benefits
while keeping plastic out of nature?
“The problem is that as a population we have continued to innovate and create new ways to use
plastic—to the point that we are dependent on plastic in our everyday lives,” says Simon. Of all the
plastic ever made, half was made in the past 15 years. But we don’t know what to do with all this
plastic once we’re finished with it. “Today science tells us that the majority of plastic waste ending up
in oceans is coming from land, specifically due to limited or nonexistent waste management,” says
Simon. “You can make something 100% recyclable, but if you don’t have a recycling facility, it just
ends up as trash.”
In the US, even though we collect almost 100% of the most common type of plastic, polyethylene
terephthalate, or PET (your standard soda bottle), only about 30% is recycled. It gets tossed in the
trash, it gets contaminated, or there aren’t recycling systems to handle it. The situation is worse in
developing nations, where the global economy has brought a flood of plastic into places without
adequate waste management. Best-case scenario: Whatever plastic isn’t recycled goes to a landfill.
Worst case: It gets dumped into nature.
Turning off the tap
When it comes to our oceans, “I think the first response everyone has to seeing plastic waste is that
it doesn’t belong there, so let’s just get rid of it,” says Simon. But while cleaning up the oceans is
critical, she says, it’s not the first step. When the sink is flooding, you don’t start with the mop; you
start by turning off the tap.
Stopping the flow of plastic means fixing a broken and fragmented system. There are opportunities at
every point in the plastic life cycle: We can make plastic from renewable resources, manufacture
goods that are recyclable and require less plastic, consume less, and make sure as much plastic is
recycled as possible. We also need to ensure solutions don’t negatively impact the environment in
other ways. Everybody has a role here: companies, the waste management industry, governments,
and consumers.
Branded garbage
Companies with household names are helping to lead the charge. Because they rely on their
reputations, Bonini says, they’ve already got skin in the game: “One company executive said to us, ‘I
don’t want to be the producer of branded garbage.’”
Companies have control over how they package products, how raw materials for plastic are sourced,
and how products are packaged for delivery—and they can even shift consumer behavior. But today,
companies aren’t equipped with a road map of how to fix the broken system. WWF has created an
“activation hub,” called ReSource: Plastic, to close that “how” gap.
ReSource helps companies who have already made ambitious plastic waste reduction commitments
turn their aspirations into meaningful, measurable actions. It starts by partnering with a company to
identify which changes will make the biggest cuts in the company’s plastics footprint and to establish
a tracking system to measure progress. Next, it helps the company implement those changes,
providing expert advice along with a suite of tools and step-by-step guidance (including the
publication No Plastic in Nature: A Practical Guide for Business Engagement). And because nothing
multiplies impact like collaboration, ReSource: Plastic connects companies, stakeholders, and
governments so they can share discoveries and investments.
This approach includes developing new technologies to recycle materials we never thought could be
recycled, like diapers. Through strategic and innovative collaborations, some companies are also
actively engaging other sectors, including waste management. For example Procter & Gamble is
forming partnerships to advance the infrastructure needed to recycle a full range of materials, with
hopes of accelerating further investment in scalable technologies.
Jack McAneny, director of sustainability at P&G, says the power of cross-value chain collaboration is
key. “We want to share new technology around recycling and recovery, since we are not a recycler at
heart,” he says. “We benefit from more scale; it helps us achieve our vision.”
Scale is definitely key. One company’s efforts are great, but 100 of the world’s biggest companies
together could prevent roughly 10 million metric tons of plastic waste. And if they fully engaged their
sectors and supply chains, that number could triple.
Dealing with the trash
Globally, policies regulating waste disposal and recycling vary wildly—where they exist at all.
“Unfortunately there are a lot of countries where waste management is really not developed,” Bonini
confirms, “and that’s going to require investment.” Thankfully, that investment is starting to flow,
she says, particularly to Southeast Asia, where waste management has not kept pace with
consumption.
The waste management piece of the puzzle is critical but tricky. In many places, if a waste
management company makes more money sending plastic to a landfill than to a recycling center,
Simon says, it’s going to a landfill. “And so all of that upstream investment to make the materials as
recyclable and as high quality as possible is for naught.”
“There are some waste management companies that are starting to look at their role in the broader
recycling system,” says Simon. “But we need more companies to get on board with investments and
action.”
Beyond bans
One thing governments can do is nudge sectors that might be dragging their feet. It may not be as
easy as banning straws, but passing legislation around waste disposal can have enormous impact.
Governments can also help by streamlining and standardizing recycling rules.
In turn, consumers need to participate in the solution. Giving up plastic straws is a great start, but
there’s so much more plastic that we consume. “We are asking every actor in the plastic life cycle to
rethink how they’re using plastic and how they’re managing it when they’re done with it,” says
Simon. “I would make that same ask of a consumer.”
Plastic-free nature
WWF has set the audacious goal of No Plastic in Nature by 2030. “Today science tells us that a 50%
reduction is possible,” says Simon. “As a conservation organization seeing the urgency and direct
impacts on our ecosystems, we know that’s just not enough. I think we have to be ambitious,
because the problem is so big.”
The world is poised to act on plastics, and WWF—with its global presence, holistic approach, and
proven track record on issues much more contentious than this one—has a critical part to play.
Working alongside other groups, like Ocean Conservancy and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, WWF
is helping herd the cats, aligning everyone toward concrete action.
Meeting this goal will mean bringing together stakeholders with different priorities, goals, and points
of view, says Simon. It’s a monumental task. But, she says, there’s one huge advantage. “We all agree
wholeheartedly: Plastic doesn’t belong in nature, and we need to stop it from ending up there.”
HOW TO STOP PLASTIC POLLUTION IN NATURE
Plan ahead. Keep a water bottle or reusable coffee mug with you, have your own utensils for on-the-
go meals, and carry a reusable shopping bag.
Donate unwanted plastic items such as furniture and dishware to local charities, or offer them online
to your local freecycle program, instead of trashing them.
Use and reuse plastic as long as you can, then get creative and reuse it for something else!
Recycle smart. In the US we recycle only 9% of the plastic we use. We can do better! Find out which
plastics your town’s recycling system accepts, and make sure you recycle them.
Clean up your neighborhood. Every piece of plastic you pick up is one less piece in nature.
Look at labels and packaging. Try to choose items packed in materials that are accepted at your local
recycling center.
Advocate for change. Support companies that are working to solve the plastics crisis. Petition your
local government for better recycling capabilities, strict regulations on waste disposal, and initiatives
to cut plastic use.