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Plastic is found in all the seas and oceans of the world - even in remote areas where there is practically no human activity. Researchers note a constant increase in the amount of solid waste in water. The very low rate of decomposition of most items of garbage leads to its accumulation in the sea, on the seabed and in coastal areas. The team tells more about the causes, consequences and methods of combating plastic pollution Ecogrizzly.
Plastic is a synthetic organic polymer made from petroleum with properties ideally suited for a wide range of applications, including packaging, construction, household and sports equipment, automobiles, electronics, and agriculture. Plastic is a cheap, light and durable material. More than 300 million tons of plastic are produced annually, half of which is used to make single-use items such as shopping bags, cups and straws.
At least 8 million tons of plastic enter the oceans every hour. Floating plastic waste is currently the most common marine litter. They make up 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-water sediments. This includes not only large fragments, but also microscopic particles of garbage (the so-called microplastic). Plastic was found on the coastlines of all continents, and especially a lot of it near popular tourist destinations and densely populated areas.
Marine litter is a serious global environmental problem, which the United Nations actively deals with through the global action program for the protection of the sea. The UNEP-led Global Partnership on Marine Litter is voluntary. The partnership was started in 2012. Reducing the ingress of waste into the aquatic environment is its main goal. UNEP defines marine litter as "any persistent, man-made or recycled solid material discarded in the marine and coastal environment".
The main reason for concern is that plastic used by households around the world ends up in the ocean and contributes to the overall increase in plastic pollution. Cleaning the marine environment contaminated with microplastics is practically useless, as the materials are too dispersed throughout the oceans, and the scale is too large. Environmental damage from plastic is global: many living organisms (birds, fish, molluscs) cannot withstand pollution and die.
To prevent further releases of plastic into the ocean, it is necessary to focus attention on various sources through which garbage constantly enters the marine environment.
Processing and reuse of plastic materials are the most effective and affordable measures to reduce their impact on the environment. In cities and on beaches in coastal areas, it is possible to place a sufficient number of trash cans with markings to prevent further growth of plastic pollution.
Governments, research institutions and industrial enterprises, in turn, need to work together to change the design of products and rethink their use and utilization in order to reduce the amount of microplastic waste from packaging, synthetic fabrics, tires, etc. This requires solutions that go beyond waste management and take into account the entire life cycle of plastic products: from product design to infrastructure and home use features.
In order to effectively solve the problem of marine plastic, it is necessary to support research and innovation. Today, it is important to know and understand the full scale of plastic pollution and its consequences: this will provide politicians, manufacturers and the public with a basis for developing appropriate technological, political and behavioral solutions. It will also accelerate the creation of new technologies, materials or products to replace plastics.
