Ocean plastic pollution is garnering increasing amounts of attention from scientists, environmentalists and the general public alike, as it poses a significant environmental problem.
An estimated 10 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the oceans every year, causing havoc in marine ecosystems and threatening wildlife.
Yet, the way in which plastic ends up in the oceans, what it leaves behind and the extent of misconceptions surrounding ocean plastic, continue to baffle people.
Plastic pollution is no longer only an aesthetic problem; it is also a grave health concern, not only for wildlife, but also for us.
The fact that plastic won’t go away adds a new urgency to the idea of the Anthropocene, questioning how we will strategise to manage our waste, and what we choose to put into our bodies.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Explained
This is said to be the best-known part of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the Pacific Ocean’s contribution to the world plastic-pollution narrative.
The reference to an ‘island’ of trash is misleading. This zone consists of an area of distributed plastic debris, largely concealed in the water column.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, present between Hawaii and California in the North Pacific Gyre — the part of a large system of currents that flows from the tropics all the way to the poles — is largely composed of microplastics and ‘ghost’ fishing gear.
Studies show that more than 75-86 per cent of the larger pieces of debris in this area come from fishing, which disrupts the narrative that everyday consumer trash is the main culprit behind this pollution crisis.
The Misconceptions About Littering
A large number of people think that littering is the main cause of ocean plastic pollution. However, while littering does play a role, it makes up a minor part of the total plastic waste. The main source of plastic going into the oceans is mismanaged waste such as things that escape the waste management system.
Attention to littering is a distraction from the bigger problem, which is systemic failure in waste management. The companies and industries that produce plastic bear a fair share of responsibility for this crisis.
The Recycling Myth
Yet the promise of recycling as a bulwark against plastic pollution has proved false. In spite of a growing recycling ‘spirit’, global recycling rates remain below 10 per cent.
The majority of plastic waste is downcycled, meaning it is transformed into products of lower quality and not fit for reprocessing (higher rates of processing are tempting, but economically unattractive).
It is obviously a diversion from the real misconception, which is to imagine that we can solve the ocean plastic crisis by recycling plastic.
Recycling is not the answer either. It’s an important part of the solution, but it cannot keep up with the growing rate of plastic production and consumption.
By all means recycle, but if we want to tackle the ocean plastic crisis, then we have to do a lot more.
Microplastics: The Hidden Threat
Microplastics, which are plastic particles measuring less than 5mm, are particularly problematic for marine ecosystems.
Microplastics can come from multiple sources, such as the breakdown of large plastic items or from synthetics, such as textiles and tyres.
Several studies have shown that microplastics constitute a significant proportion of the plastic found in the ocean – for instance, it has been estimated that, for high-income countries, microplastics can make up to 62 per cent of all plastic pollution in the oceans.
It is not yet clear what the health implications will be of microplastics, given that they are now moving their way up the food chain and into us. But the bottom line is we must act now to stop our pollution in the microplastics domain as a matter of urgency.
Exploring Solutions to Plastic Pollution
Given the scale and complexity of current challenges posed by plastic pollution, solutions must not only aim at reducing the overall amount of plastic produced by us.
It is also urgent to improve systems to capture waste and ensure proper disposal, and to further develop recycling technologies.
We need stronger cooperation at an international level given that our use of plastics have created a global issue, and our solutions must therefore be global in nature.
There are also new, biodegradable alternatives and improved methods for recycling that are being looked into.
Public awareness campaigns – such as reducing the use of plastic and disposing of it correctly – can also help fight this crisis.
In the end, the path to curtailing ocean plastic pollution is a collective one, requiring action by people, industries and governments. Knowing the issues and adopting broad-based strategies will aid in our quest to have a cleaner, healthier ocean.
The Role of the Fishing Industry
Fishing for plastic is the largest source of ocean plastic pollution. Fishing gear such as nets, pots and lines make up between 75 and 86 per cent of the larger plastic pieces found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
This produces a new and uncomfortable version of the old story – one that holds fishermen accountable for their gear.
Abandoned lost or discarded fishing gear is often called ‘ghost gear’ – netting and traps that, after discarding, continue to trap marine life.
The total global impact of ghost gear in marine ecosystems results in injuries and deaths of marine life. Fishing-associated plastic waste is an urgent ocean issue.
Improving Fishing Practices
However, there are various ways to tackle the plastic waste created by the fishing industry. First, better management practices must be established, such as developing biodegradable fishing gear.
Innovation in materials means that lost gear will not stay in the ocean for as long.
Moreover, a better understanding of the consequences of their activities for marine life should lead to a more responsible cultural attitude among fishermen.
A lot can also be done by proactive attempts to collect and reuse disposed or old fishing gear that otherwise ends up in the ocean.
Ecosystem Interactions with Plastic
For marine ecosystems, plastic pollution generates consequences that spread around like a wicked villain in a Looney Tunes cartoon.
Once plastic pollution has been introduced into the ocean, it will interact with a range of marine species and habitats in ways that we often did not intend.
For example, it has been estimated that as many as 100 species can inadvertently colonise plastic debris, finding new homes on floating plastic, disturbing natural habitats and ecological interactions.
Furthermore, it can also bring with it toxic chemicals right into the food web: as marine animals ingest microplastics, these toxicants biomagnify.
Which is to say that they can end up concentrating into the flesh of animals higher up the food web, and can even find their way into our own bodies.
Learning about these complex interactions is the critical piece of the puzzle for figuring out the appropriate mitigation steps.
The Role of Microplastics
But microplastics being so small prove pernicious, as they are more likely to be ingested by marine life, and thus bioaccumulate and biomagnify with every step up the food chain.
As a result, the larger predatory species at the top of the food chain (and, of course, us) can end up with dangerously toxic levels of toxins.
The latest findings suggest that microplastics are ‘severely widespread and … now virtually ubiquitous in the global ocean, including remote areas, as well as in the stomachs of most marine animals’.
As such, it is about time that efforts turn to these hard-to-see microplastics, too.
The Impact of Consumer Choices
Consumers are at the heart of the plastic pollution problem, and sometimes people assume that their individual actions are too small to matter.
But adding all those small decisions together has helped to create the huge demand for single-use plastic that we have today. Equipping consumers with knowledge can help them make better decisions.
Choosing reusable bags, for example, as opposed to plastic bags, can help stem the tide.
And choosing brands that use sustainable packaging or packaging practices signals to others in the industry that sustainability is a priority.
Consumer voices can, and do, drive market change.
Raising Awareness
It will be important to develop education and awareness campaigns to change behaviours.
Informing people about the negative effects of plastic consumption , as well as the advantages of alternative, low-impact materials, will slowly shift culture towards being more environmentally conscious.
This can be done through social media, community involvement and educational programmes.
What’s more, companies themselves can become more transparent about their environmental footprint, helping the consumer to make more informed choices.
As awareness increases, so too does the opportunity for collective action against plastic pollution.
The Debate Over Cleaning Up the Ocean
Whether to clean up ocean plastic is a hotly debated topic. Some scientists argue that once plastic gets in the ocean, it is part of the system.
The plastic gets colonised by plants, sea life or sunken remains and it becomes part of the ecosystem. Taking it out would strip these marine creatures of their new habitat, and could be detrimental to survival.
On the contrary, the increasing evidence of harm caused by plastic to marine life and to the human body make the case for the clean-up undeniable, as those who support such actions point out, in order to stop contaminating the food chain further.
Finding a Balance
But it also requires a balanced approach. Plastic cleanups must be accompanied by policies to prevent more plastic from entering the oceans. That means reducing plastic production and circulation, strengthening waste management systems and recycling infrastructures.
This will involve applying scientific knowledge on the best methods to use so that other marine life isn’t harmed in the process. Governments, NGOs and the private sector will need to work together to come up with solutions.
Global Treaties and Future Directions
In particular, over the last few years, the world has started to take issues with plastic pollution seriously: the UN’s recent resolution to end plastic pollution is an important step in the right direction. Now, for the resolutions to have any meaning, they have to be brought into actionable policy.
Plastic production must be drastically decreased and recycling must be improved through further treaties.
Governments worldwide must come together to create regulations obliging industries to be responsible for plastic usage and its disposal. An integrated approach will provide more efficient solutions regarding the problem.
Innovative Solutions on the Horizon
Innovation will be key in solving the plastic pollution issue. Research on biodegradable substitutes and advanced recycling technologies can be one avenue to pursue in solving the issue. Investments in circular economy models can also mitigate plastic waste, increasing the sustainability of the sector.
Public-private partnerships can spark these advances, creating an ecology in which sustainable practices take root While we can take heart that technology will likely bring us new solutions, we have the opportunity to apply those innovations to the same problem: ending ocean plastic pollution.
Extensive effort will be needed to mitigate the problems posed by plastic pollution, but each of us, as consumers, can play a part by learning the facts, monitoring our own habits and pressuring industries and governments to provide a holistic regulatory framework that protects our planet and its inhabitants.
It is imperative that we, as consumers, continue to make these choices, favouring more sustainable approaches and holding companies more accountable. To this end, albeit an endyma-full one, the fight to curb plastic pollution continues.
