Plastic Pollution Reduction ➖

-
Some sources of plastic pollution are:
  • Commercial and recreational ships
  • Fishing operations
  • Street litter 
  • Packaging 
  • Production waste 
Photo source: International Coastal Cleanup 2012, Ocean Conservancy
These are the top 10 most commonly found pieces of trash found during a coastal clean up. Of the 10 items 6 are plastic. 
Micro-plastics are originated from small particles developed for specific uses, or are broken down from larger plastics. These micro-plastics are being consumed by marine animals that are confusing them with food sources. 

 There is recognition of the problems of ocean pollution. The real challenge is the complexity of multi-faced problem. The majority of marine plastic pollution comes from land based sources therefore solely focusing on marine oriented solutions is not enough. 
A way to address these threats to ocean is through international bodies, such as the International Maritime Organization. This organization is responsible for the laws and regulations put in place to prevent pollution and marine litter. Attention has forced an international change and action to occur which targets to reduce macro-plastic and micro-plastic marine pollution. 

The communities of the world needs to take action to reduce plastic pollution. There are many ways like:
  • Focusing on recycling and reusing plastics  
  • Improve public awareness of the effects of plastic pollution
  • Putting in place mechanisms such as litter fines and traps 
  • Industries can be encouraged to support codes of conduct and certification practices
Photo source: The Ocean Legacy Foundation 
There still remains a number of challenges in buckling down on the problem of marine plastic pollution. In 1967, there was revolutionary action by the world community to address these challenges. The United Nations Environment Assembly is now trying to do the same. 

International agreements are not easily developed and are often criticised for the time taken to reach agreements. Despite these criticisms, the international framework for ocean governance continues to evolve. International initiatives addressing marine plastic pollution need to be supported by strong and focused scientific research, the engagement of business and community organisations, as well as engaged and committed government action on different scales and supporting community-based programs that address the use and disposal of plastics.

References:



Howard, H (2018)  Plastic pollution of the world’s seas and oceans as a contemporary challenge in ocean governance

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is becoming a vegetarian a solution to plastic pollution?🥬

-
Image
 Dear friends, I haven't written on this blog in a little while time, 5 years isn't that much right. But I must say I've missed it. Life has been unexpected recently, and finding the time and energy to sit down and write down my thoughts has been difficult. Nonetheless, I'm glad to be back and ready to share my most recent experiences and views. So, get a warm cup of tea and let's catch up. So roughly 2 years ago I became a vegetarian. I was abstaining from meat for Lent and was only eating fish. A friend recommended I watch the documentary "Seaspiricy" because of my environmental interest. I sat down and started watching and I did not expect to CRY at the site of dead fish, dolphins, sharks and whales. From that moment I decided to become a vegetarian and 2 years later I still am. It has not been an easy journey but every time I am tempted I rewatch Seaspircy and cry all over again.  Because this blog is about plastic pollution I wanted to research if bei...
Read more

The Great Pacfic Garbage Patch 🗑️

-
Image
By now, you have probably heard of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch . If not, it's simply a floating island made up of any plastic trash you can imagine such as soda bottles, plastic bags, disposable utensils and many other plastic trash. In complexity, it is also made up of very small pieces of plastic not just large ones.  Photo source: Lifescinceguru There are five oceanic "garbage patches" which are located in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. The largest of them all is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.  While large pieces of plastic do accumulate in the gyre, rather than being an island of plastic, in reality, this is more like a plastic soup, consisting mostly of tiny bits of invisible microplastic. Researchers have found higher concentrations of floating plastic in the gyres than anywhere else in the ocean. Photo source: The Ocean Clean Up The 5 oceanic " garbage patches" The Great Pacific Garbage Patch spreads over 1.6 millio...
Read more

The Dangers of Styrofoam ☣️

-
Image
You may not think about it but you use styrofoam a lot. Think about it! You receive your snow cones, corn soup, Chinese food and curry in styrofoam. But where does it all end up? Plastic pollution is greatly showcased in the media. H owever,  Styrofoam pollution is quite overlooked. Especially in Trinidad and Tobago . So today I'm going to shed some light on the dangers of styrofoam pollution and the threats posed by styrofoam when emitted into the natural environment. Styrofoam is widely used as an insulating material in the construction industry, for the production of disposable dishes or packaging, crafts, and in the food industry.  Photo source: Indiamart Image showing packing peanuts which are made from styrofoam  Photo source: Brennan Builders Inc. Photo showing styrofoam used to insulate a building  Photo source: DIYwithMe Photo showing styrofoam balls used for crafts  turned into a decorative snowman Photo source: Home for F...
Read more