10 ways to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean

Plastics are ingested through seafood, drinks and even common salt. At the same time, a global accountability mechanism should be created featuring multilateral agreements with clear on-the-ground plans, robust domestic laws, and commercial devices to distribute responsibility appropriately across the plastic life cycle. Those little plastic scrubbers found in so many beauty productsfacial scrubs, toothpaste, body washesmight look harmless, but their tiny size allows them to slip through water-treatment plants. Bioplastics not as green as they seem, approach with caution. A global team of scientists examined plastic debris in 38 lakes and reservoirs across 23 countries and six continents, demonstrating the extent to which plastics have invaded Earth's ecosystems. Rapid consumption practices generate huge amounts of plastic waste that the world is ill-equipped to handle. Learn more about the eight innovators that are making an impact on the ground to fight plastic pollution: Siklus is reinventing the future of retail in Indonesia by delivering refills of everyday needs to people's doors - without plastic waste. Show more. If you believe a company could be smarter about its packaging, make your voice heard. All plastic produced is derived primarily from oil. straws, plastic bags, takeout utensils, takeout containers), and b) purchasing, and carrying with you, reusable versions of those products, including reusable grocery bags, produce bags, bottles, utensils, coffee cups, and dry cleaning garment bags. To learn more about #OceanPlastics this week, keep your eye on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, NOAA's Marine Debris Blog, and, of course, here. One way to do this is by implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs. Invest in a zippered fabric bag and request that your cleaned items be returned in it instead of sheathed in plastic. 10 tips to reduce plastic pollution - National Geographic Kids Plastic Pollution in the Ocean, Common Causes & Ways to Reduce - Plastic Collective by Krystal Greenwood Sep 15, 2020 Did you know more than 8 Million Metric Tons of Plastic Waste Enters the Sea from the Environment every year? How Can We Reduce Plastic Pollution in the Ocean? - TRVST Microplastics: Australian lake among world's most polluted in landmark You will be able to hide the cookies acceptance banner and use the website features better. Box 844Ross, CA 94957, Expeditions & General Inquiries 1-800-326-7491. This would benefit our health, communities, climate, and the planet as a whole. Ocean pollution effects run deep. For more details, review our .chakra .wef-12jlgmc{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;font-weight:700;}.chakra .wef-12jlgmc:hover,.chakra .wef-12jlgmc[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-12jlgmc:focus,.chakra .wef-12jlgmc[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);}privacy policy. Reduce Your Use of Single-Use Plastics Taxes and incentives can apply to particular businesses (such as supermarkets or plastic producers) or particular products (like plastic coffee cup lids or soda bottles). Immediate action is necessary to prevent further harm. That number represents15 per cent of thewholeglobal carbonbudget-theamount of greenhouse gas that can be emitted,whilestill keepingwarming within the Paris Agreement goals. Other countries include Mali, Tunisia, Malawi, Mauritania, Kenya, South Africa, The Gambia, Mauritius, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, Seychelles and Burkina Faso. What can we do? In Kenya, it is common to find water refill stations in supermarkets or local kiosks. China's rising tide: Expanding investment in blue finance, How AI and underwater microphones are helping in marine life conservation, How innovation and collaboration can transform ocean health, Marine heatwave threatens UK's seagrass meadows, but clean-up can help. Poorly maintained drainage systems in cities are being clogged up by plastic waste leading to flooding claiming hundreds of lives, leaving countless more displaced, and destroying the livelihoods of families that are already struggling to get by. Few are reused and even fewer are recycled, and the large majority are landfilled after just a few moments of use. Mismanaged waste refers to plastic left uncollected, openly dumped, littered, or managed through uncontrolled landfills. Currently, 11 million metric tons (MMT)of mostly single-use items enter the ocean each year solely from land-based sources. Why Aren't We Seeing Less Pollution? 10 Ways To Reduce Plastic Pollution - Greenpeace Africa Plastic Pollution in the Ocean, Common Causes & Ways to Reduce Confused about what can and cant go in the bin? These small bits of plastic make them sick, and leave no room in their swollen bellies for real food. Recover and recycle the materials we use in both formal and informal sectors by implementing extended producer responsibility laws, providing incentives for waste segregation and recycling, strengthening markets for recycled plastics and implementing Fishing for Litter programs. On June 10, a group of 16 leading organizationsrepresenting businesses, NGOs, and civil societyhighlighted the need for urgent global action to halt the rapid growth of plastic pollution and create a "circular economy," a closed-loop system in which resources are reused instead of becoming waste. Seven Interventions Solutions to Tackle Reduce Plastic and All Ocean Pollution The sundry pollutants making their way into the ocean often share common pathways and root causes, such as a lack of access to sanitation and wastewater processing or inefficient use of natural resources. Help WRI turn research So the best thing we can do to protect our waterways is try to keep as much plastic as possible out of the waste stream in the first place. In order to shift from this reality, there needs to be a change in dominant public mindsets away from our throwaway culture. Here are seven ways you can make a difference, starting today. Legislation on single-use plastic products can set standards on material composition, reusability, recoverability (to ensure the product can be recycled), biodegradability and ensuring products can be composted. Recycle soda cans and bottles. The scale of the problem corporations have created must be met with a fundamental shift in how they bring products to people. Cutting the amount of plasticsespecially single-use plasticsthat we produce is foundational to solving the plastic pollution crisis. 9. Tohelp reduce plastic waste at the needed scale, it proposes an accelerated transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies, the removal of subsidies and a shift towardsmorecircular approachestowards reduction. 10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution - Ocean Legacy Foundation Most single-use plastics have a very short useful life. Bionic's ocean-recovered plastic polymers can be used in a wide range of products. Its high time to get out of this waste colonialism which stifles all the sustainable development initiatives of African countries and more specifically slows down the efforts made so far by African countries on plastic pollution and plastic waste management. Underdeveloped waste management infrastructure is a major challenge in low and middle-income countries, and it leads to low collection rates. Open dumping also pollutes nearby aquifers, water bodies, and settlements. The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum. Today, shops are seen offering products such as cereals, nuts, beans and pasta without packaging. There is limited investment in waste management infrastructure in low and middle-income countries amid the many competing development priorities. Most plastic products are designed for single use only, without considering their potential for reuse. Preventing Ocean Pollution - Greenpeace USA The negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty have started, with the goal of completing the process by the end of 2024. All over Africa, consumers often bring their own reusable shopping and produce bags to markets, in order to avoid using single-use plastic bags. Plastic pollution and climate change are closely linked because plastic is a product of the fossil fuel life cycle. For example, a toxic algal bloom caused by nutrient pollution in the western Lake Erie basin in 2011 disrupted water supplies for 400,000 people. Animals may gobble up straws they find in their natural habitat, mistaking them for food. We can wean ourselves off plastic by looking for alternatives like glass, ceramic, stainless steel or wood. A world without polluters = a clean, healthy and thriving one. Inspired by a scuba diving trip in Greece, Dutch CEO Boyan Slat created the organisation consisting of a large team of people and technology designed to effectively collect plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. In addition to the necessary increase of single-use plastics for personal protective equipment (PPE) like face masks and shields, some governments and businesses have delayed or scrapped plastic bags and packaging bans. Shifting to sustainable land-based aquaculture systems could reduce a number of pollutants associated with coastal aquaculture, such as plastic pollution from lost or discarded gear and untreated waste with high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous. How to Reduce Plastic and Other Ocean Pollution Simultaneously They are set to collect data such as how long users stay on a page or which links are clicked. Plastics are making the climate crisis worse 99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels and corporations keep making more. We use cookies to enhance your experience. Addressingsolutionsto the problem, the authors pour cold water on the chances of recycling our way out of the plastic pollution crisis. U.N. Plastics Treaty Must Include Provisions to Tackle Microplastics Remember when life wasnt wrapped in single-use plastic? EPR programs require producers and distributors to take responsibility for the proper disposal of their products after consumer use. This helps us make better content based on your experience navigating the website. These two factors have resulted in the enormous presence of plastic pollution in the environment and at the same time affecting human health adversely. Poor waste management systems have allowed those living in informal settlements to constantly have plastic at their back doors. Governments can also impose taxes to deter the production or use of single-use plastics, or offer tax breaks, subsidies and other fiscal incentives to encourage alternatives to single-use plastic products. Help keep our marine life from eating and swimming in garbage. Conserve Water Use less water so excess runoff and wastewater will not flow into the ocean. Six steps to get you started in the world of participatory environmental research. All over Africa, many reuse plastic containers as storage containers in kitchens. 8 million tons of plastic enters the ocean each year. The future treaty has a huge potential to put the world on a path towards a plastic-free future but it will be up to us to make sure that it delivers on its promises. New toys and electronic gadgets, especially, come with all kinds of plastic packagingfrom those frustrating hard-to-crack shells to twisty ties. The stadium aims to be plastic-free by 2019. Additionally, humans are ingesting more plastic from their food and drinking water, and carbon dioxide emissions from plastic production and incineration are growing each year. By 2040,there could be a$100 billion annual financial risk for businesses if governments require them to cover waste management costs. Marine debris, including plastics, paper, wood, metal and other manufactured material is found on beaches worldwide and at all depths of the ocean. into action and scale This means about 50kg of plastic per meter of coastline. Can you imagine that? It just breaks apart into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics. How did it all get there? 10 Ways To Reduce Plastic Pollution In The Ocean. Animals can get tangled up in this trash or ingest iteither because they mistake it as prey or because the plastic has been broken down into tiny particles by seawater. Requiring that packaging must be designed and produced in safe, thoughtful and sustainable ways can limit the production and use of harmful plastics. These legislative tools can guarantee more sustainable designs by holding manufacturers responsible for single-use plastics throughout the collection, recovery, recycling or reuse of their products. It is estimated that up to 12 million metric tons of plastic enter our ocean each year. +1 (202) 729-7600. Pew will continue to engage with stakeholders and policymakers at the INC to support efforts to develop an ambitious, evidence-based approach for reducing plastic pollution, including from microplastics . The speed at which ocean plastic pollution is capturing public attention is encouraging. One primary source of plastic pollution is plastic food packaging and the packaging of other items we buy. This includes imposing fees on single-use plastics, encouraging voluntary industry standards to reduce fossil-fuel-based plastics ,and shifting cultural norms around waste generation, consumption and reuse. World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use. Help WRI turn research This approach can support consumer choice of sustainable products. Our plastic pollution campaign is focused on obtaining strong regulatory measures at international, European and national levels to achieve a significant reduction in plastics entering the oceans. If recycling is not enough to solve the plastics crisis, what is it? Each year, close to 20 billion plastic bottles are tossed in the trash. In countries with fewer effective end-of-life waste management systems, plastic waste is far more likely to end up in inadequately controlled landfills or open dumps. That is more than a garbage truck's worth of plastics entering our ocean every minute. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs can ensure that manufacturers maintain responsibility for single-use plastic products throughout the whole life cycles of those products. Corporations have been irresponsibly shifting the burden of dealing with their distribution design failures onto us for far too long. Over 90% of plastics are not recycled. There are a variety of ways that you can support local, national, and international legislation that provide critical solutions to reduce plastic pollution. Ten ways to reduce plastic in our canals | Canal & River Trust If the issue of plastic pollution is not addressed, the accelerating use and production of plastics could spell disaster for the well-being of communities and various ecosystems. 1. 1. Join the global movement to fight plastic waste by participating in our 7-day challenge. 1. Together, we can. 10 Ways To Keep Plastic Out of the Ocean - seaturtles.org What is even worse is that much of the packaging collected for recycling in the Global North is exported to the Global South to be disposed of. A lack of information to empower consumers to reuse, refill and reduce their plastic usage. The problem has only worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. #CleanSeashttps://t.co/97DMOZD3Ee pic.twitter.com/3xjthnsTh2. If we are to meet the challenge of plastic pollution, countries, states/provinces, local governments, and civil society will all have to mobilise. While the increased use of plastic is necessary to fight the pandemic, particularly for PPE, countries need to ensure these emergency changes do not derail long-term progress on the passage of laws aimed at reducing plastic pollution. Around 80 percent of marine litter actually originates on landeither swept in from the coastline or carried to rivers from the streets during heavy rain via storm drains and sewer overflows. Plastic is everywhere: In your home, your office, your school and your ocean. Containers marked #2 (HDPE; typically slightly heavier-duty bottles for milk, juice, and laundry detergent) and #5 (PP; plastic cutlery, yogurt and margarine tubs, ketchup bottles) are also recyclable in some areas. 8 innovations that are helping to fight plastic pollution | World Incineration creates other pollution and does not address the overproduction problem. Add your voice to call for a Global Plastics Treaty here https://t.co/2ERZLndRYs pic.twitter.com/4HGtRJp0M7. There are many alternative product delivery models that can eliminate the use of single-use plastics. The UN Environment Programme estimated the global damage to marine environments from plastic pollution to be a minimum of $13 billion per year. There are plastic alternatives that are becoming more prevalent around the world, but to bring about change at the scale needed, corporations are going to have to innovate as only they can afford to do. Plastic Pollution Solutions - 10 Ways to Reduce Plastic Pollution Plastics: From Pollution to Solutions Since the post-WWII industrial boom, our reliance on plastics--thanks in part to practical and innovative uses in healthcare and food security--now generates an estimated truckload worth of plastic in the oceans every minute. As Africans we are uniquely affected by plastic pollution in the following ways: Africa can showcase its leadership in tackling the plastic pollution crisis by taking a progressive and ambitious approach that calls for all African countries to support the treatys objectives, including a full life cycle approach, ending plastic production, eliminating hazardous substances, and agreeing to legally binding measures. Plastic is polluting throughout its entire lifecycle, from the moment it is extracted to its disposal. 10 tips to reduce plastic pollution 1) Say no to plastic straws. It's Time for Global Action to Eliminate Plastic Pollution Buy in bulk. Most plastics have a chemical structure which makes them highly resistant to many natural processes of degradation and as a result of this, it takes them a long period of time to degrade. Innovative Solutions to Tackling Plastic Pollution in the Ocean the changes needed to We should: The non-acceptance of these cookies will give you a cookie-free experience. It is vital that weuse this momentum to focus on the opportunities for a clean, healthy and resilient ocean, Ms. Andersenargued. They should support consumers to phase out the usage of unnecessary plastics and to embrace reuse business models. NRDC scientist Veena Singla wants itand its equally poisonous replacementsout of our products. The important thing is that we all do something, no matter how small. It also asks forinvestments in far more robust and effective monitoring systems to identify the sources, scale and fate of plastic. 10 G Street NE It's littering rivers, lakes and oceans, killing . To stop plastic pollution, tactics should include building on and reinforcing existing initiatives, such as banning single-use plastics and upgrading national waste management plans. U.S. Actions to Address Plastic Pollution Far too many are discarded and washed by storm sewers, streams and the wind into the ocean. The plastics industry has produced more plastics since 2000 than all the preceding years combined. A whopping 8 million tons of plastic winds up in the ocean each year, endangering wildlife and polluting ecosystems. 10 Scientific Solutions to Plastic Pollution Thank you in advance for agreeing to participate in our survey so we can improve and tailor our products to your needs. What is the World Economic Forum doing about plastic pollution? Reduce Ocean Pollution: 10 Ways to Use Less Plastic Plastic and other pollutants continue to pollute long after their shelf life is over. As important as it is to change our individual behaviors, such changes alone are insufficient to stop ocean plastic pollution. This essay proposes six steps that executives can take to help prevent and reduce plastic in the ocean. How EIA is working to reduce plastic pollution. A strong plastics treaty will deliver a cleaner, safer planet for us and for future generations. Let that sink in for a moment. There are many non-profit organizations working to reduce and eliminate ocean plastic pollution in a variety of different ways, including Oceanic Society, Plastic Pollution Coalition, 5 Gyres, Algalita, Plastic Soup Foundation, and others. The survey will take no more than 4 minutes to complete. Scientists are finding plastic pollution in every nook and cranny of the planet - from the top of the Pyrenees to the deepest ocean trench. Phasing out these products is the first step toward reducing consumption. In the ocean, plastic pollution impacts sea turtles, whales, seabirds, fish, coral reefs, and countless other marine species and habitats. Here are seven ways you can make a difference, starting today. In Indore, an exhaustive Green Protocol details 72 ways to reduce, reuse and recycle of garbage, including plastic items, in the stadium. Theyalsowarn against damaging alternatives,such as bio-based orbiodegradable plastics, which currently pose a threat similar to conventional plastics. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies and similar tracking technologies described in our, skyrocketing plastic production, low levels of recycling, and poor waste management, more than half of the worlds sea turtles, it doesnt go away: plastics are forever., taking action to reduce their plastic use, a cleanup of your local beach or waterway, Harnessing Tourism for Thresher Shark Conservation in Alor, Indonesia, Impacting Communities & Oceans: Expedition Impact Fund Supports Cleanup Campaign, 5 SENS CEO Divya Gugnani Talks Sustainability and Supporting Oceanic Societys Global Ocean Cleanup, 2nd Annual Global Ocean Cleanup Unites Organizations, Artists, and Brands to Fight Ocean Pollution Worldwide.
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