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 Hi, my name is Daniel, My presentation is about the great pacific garbage patch. you all know that we eat fish but, also we are hurting our selfs because people troughs tons of garbage and then the fishes eat it. I like swimming but, every time I go to the beach I saw a lot of garbages floating on the ocean. I really wanted to help pick up the garbages but it has too much and too far. If the garbages is not cleaned up faster, then more and more fishes will come  and eat the garbages. Now there is a big big garbage patch on the pacific ocean and it is very hard to clean up!

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 Hi, my name is Daniel, My presentation is about the great pacific garbage patch. you all know that we eat fish but, also we are hurting our selfs because people troughs tons of garbage and then the fishes eat it. I like swimming but, every time I go to the beach I saw a lot of garbages floating on the ocean. I really wanted to help pick up the garbages but it has too much and too far. If the garbages is not cleaned up faster, then more and more fishes will come  and eat the garbages. Now there is a big big garbage patch on the pacific ocean and it is very hard to clean up!

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Things i will say on the presentation

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Three hundred million tons of plastic are produced every year, and over 8 million tons of it winds up in our oceans.

There is currently no landscape that hasn't been touched by plastic. Even remote islands without any human inhabitants have beaches filled with plastic.

It's actually raining micro-plastic pieces now.

Plastic has been found in the arctic, in salt, 84% of drinking water worldwide, and as deep as the Mariana Trench. Plastic is everywhere.

And, plastic doesn't ever go away. Plastic doesn't biodegrade. It won't turn back into soil.

Instead, over time, it becomes brittle, and it breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces until it's so small it's a micro or nanoplastic.

A microplastic is a tiny piece of plastic on average 3mm-5mm.

Some plastics are created small like microbeads and glitter while others become microplastics - think your leggings shedding polyester fibers in the wash, tire treads slowly wearing away, fishnets being thrown overboard, and common types of plastic like water bottles, plastic bags, coffee cups, etc. breaking apart due to rough ocean conditions.

To be honest, the microplastic problem seems distant and foreign to me.

Yes, even someone who talks about the plastic problem ALL. THE. TIME. can have issues with grasping the actual scale of the problem since I've never experienced it in person.

This is why it's been AMAZING to follow along with The Vortex Swim.

photo provided by The Vortex Swim
I'm very excited to be partnering with Icebreaker who sponsored The Vortex Swim to raise awareness around these issues. All thoughts and opinions are my own. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.
The Vortex Swim started in Hawaii where Ben Lecomte, a long-distance swimmer, spent 100 days at sea swimming (YES. SWIMMING!) through the Pacific Ocean right through the heart of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch AKA the Plastic Vortex.

He was followed by a crew on a boat to study these problems.

He swam 350 nautical miles collecting 45,000 microplastic samples from the Vortex to raise awareness around plastic pollution in the ocean, and to collect data for scientific research.

I got to meet Ben and talk with him about the experience, about some of the most common types of plastic he found.

And, some of the weird things he found too like toilet seats, crates, and a surprising amount of laundry baskets.

One of the things I admired most about the trip (beyond an incredible human SWIMMING from HI to CA) was the entire crew tried to keep the boat plastic-free and zero waste! How amazing is that!

They used Super Bee Wax Wraps to avoid plastic wrap, Plaine Products shampoo that comes in a refillable aluminum bottle, and Avasol sunscreen that comes in a compostable tube!

You can see more on their Instagram Feed.

Getting to see Ben swim under the Golden Gate Bridge was so inspiring.

There was so much energy at the beach on Saturday morning. I was surrounded by news crews, the Icebreaker team, and so many people there to cheer him on.

After he arrived, I got to meet the ten person crew. I was honestly shocked so many people fit on that teeny-tiny boat.

There was a photographer, social manager, even an on board doctor!

The goal of this mission was to shine a light on the microplastic.

Every day the team would skim the waters for 30 minutes to collect and count the microplastics in that area.

All of the data was sent off to be studied and used to create legislation to prevent these problems in the future.

Another reason they took the trip was to debunk the idea of a garbage island floating in the middle of the ocean. It's not an island rather a chunky soup filled with microplastic pieces

One of the things I found interesting was how marine life created habitats out of the plastic.

You can see all of the crustaceans living on the baskets, and schools of fish nesting in old nets. It was so odd to see them living in pollution which could eventually kill them.

The crew often saved marine life from being entangled in plastic, and they talked about the dichotomy of being excited to save them at the same time as being horrified that it's a problem in the first place.

Icebreaker is selling the official crew shirts if you want to check them out.

I love that Icebreaker sponsored this incredibly eyeopening expedition.

One of the reasons, I love their clothes is that they're made with natural fibers.

Icebreaker offers an average of 84% natural raw materials one of the highest documented in the clothing industry, and they're taking it even further to completely remove synthetic content from their collections by 2023.

Including switching from plastic bags in shipping to a water-soluble bag by the end of the year.

Learn more about how Icebreaker is reducing plastic

photo provided by The Vortex Swim

1. reduce single-use plastics:

It should come as no surprise that my first suggestion is to reduce single-use plastics in your life. After all, that's kind of what this blog is about...

But, I think you'd be surprised how much plastic you can eliminate from your life just by being conscious of the plastic you use.

When it's time to make a new purchase, a quick google search will turn up tons of sustainable, plastic-free swaps so you can switch out items like your toothbrush, disposable coffee cups, and water bottles etc.

Ben said one of the most common household plastic items they found were bottle caps.

Bottle caps are made of a lighter plastic so they tend to float and stay near the surface, where the bottles themselves tend to sink.

Most plastic isn't recycled. Only 9% of all the plastic ever produced has EVER been recycled.

And, to make matters even worse much of the plastic we "recycle" is dumped in countries that don't have access to waste management infrastructure.

Which means a lot of the plastic we're "recycling" is actually winding up in the ocean.

This is why it's so important to be mindful of the materials that you bring into your life.

First, REDUCE what you you bring into your home. REUSE what you have, and then after you've reduced and reused all that you can - then and ONLY then... recycle!

Of course don't forget to purchase products made with recycled materials.

After all, are you really recycling if you're not supporting companies using recycled materials?

2. fishnets:

Fishnets are one of the biggest polluters in the ocean. Many times old nets will be thrown into the ocean, which is horrible because marine life get trapped and are unable to escape.

One of the best ways to avoid this is to stop eating fish or greatly reduce the amount of fish you're consuming and buy sustainable fish.

Check out seafood watch from Monterey Bay Aquarium to learn more about eco-friendly fishing practices.

3. glitter:

Yep, glitter is plastic. Glitter face masks, sunscreens, festival makeup.... this is all plastic.

When you go to wash the glitter off of your body, it goes straight down the drain and into the water ways.

Because, glitter is so tiny, it's often too small to get filtered and winds up in the ocean.

Before you glitter, ask yourself if you really need to use it?

I'm not sure I've ever been in a situation, where I just HAD to use glitter.

But, they do make biodegradable glitter which is made from cellulose so it breaks down very quickly once you was it off.

This one donates portions of the sales to Greenpeace International.

4. microbeads:

Microbeads, thankfully, have been ban by most countries.

I think you'd have to go out of your way to find products with microbeads in them now, but they were a major contributor to microplastics in the ocean.

Check your labels just in case and opt for microbead free products.

5. tires:

Now, this one absolutely shocked me. According the the Guardian, "68,000 tonnes of microplastics from tyre tread abrasion are generated in the UK every year, with between 7,000 and 19,000 tonnes entering surface waters."

Our tires go bald due to the friction of driving.

As they go bald, they lose tiny bits of tire which when left on the roadway make their way to the storm drains which lead out to the sea.

Driving less is the best solution. But, even if you're taking public busses or biking there's still a problem with tires shedding microplastic pieces.

It's probably time for the tire to get a makeover... which is happening!

Michelin has just introduced a biodegradeable and 3-D printed tire that would last forever. Let's hope this becomes a reality!

6. microfibers:

Lastly, microfibers are a major source of plastic pollution in the ocean.

Every time you wash synthetic clothing like polyester, acrylic, and fleece, plastic fibers from the clothing are shed into the water ways.

A study by Plymouth University found that a single load of clothes could release up to 700,000 microplastic particles!

Thankfully there are a few ways that we can fix this problem!

1) Opt for Natural Fibers: When you're shopping, try to buy clothing made from natural fibers. Here's a list of natural-based fibers:

One of the things I love about Icebreaker is their use of sustainable and ethical merino wool.

Wool is amazing for temperature regulation. It's very breathable and naturally anti-bacterial which means you can wash your clothing LESS!

Like way less - I wore the same Icebreaker shirt every day for a week, and I didn't have to wash it once.

And, I personally love it when being eco-friendly allows me to be lazy and avoid doing laundry. Talk about a win-win!

2) Wash Less: When it comes to washing your clothes try to stretch washes. This is a great way to save water and keep your clothes lasting longer.

Just because you've worn something once doesn't make it dirty. If my clothes don't smell, then I wear them... until they do smell. And, only then do I put them in the washing machine.

3) Air it out: A great way to extend the life of your clothes is let them air out.

After I've worn a shirt, I like to turn it inside out and spray it with this mixture, and hang it up in the open air like on the door frame of the closet.

I don't shove the piece back into my closet, I give it room to breath so air can circulate all around it.

4) Take Preventative Measures: I do not have a 100% plastic-free wardrobe, but I would say about 80% of my clothing is plastic-free.

The thing is often times you need a little bit of synthetic fibers to really maintain the integrity of a piece. All thread is synthetic, and then there's often a bit of spandex or maybe poly to help clothing from pulling or stretching out of shape.

So, it's always best to take a preventative measures by using something to catch microfibers.

There are several different options like the guppyfriend, microfiber ball, or a washing machine attachment.

How are you helping to reduce ocean plastic pollution?

I want to thank Icebreaker for sponsoring this post and The Vortex Swim!

If you want to catch the panel I attended after Ben arrived in SF, you can watch it here.

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6 Easy Ways to Reduce Ocean Plastic Pollution - Going Zero Waste

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Three hundred million tons of plastic are produced every year, and over 8 million tons of it winds up in our oceans. There is currently no landscape that hasn't been touched by plastic. Even remote islands without any human inhabitants have beaches filled with plastic. It's actually raining micro-plastic pieces now.

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When it comes to recycling and waste minimization, the "3 Rs" (reduce, recycle and reuse) are used as a standard of reducing waste. One report states that recycling just one ton of cardboard can save over nine cubic yards in a landfill. With landfills overflowing, every inch counts.

Many people don't think about what happens once they throw something away. However, it is an important thing to consider. Reducing the amount of waste you produce will save money and will help preserve land being used for landfills. As landfills start overflowing, more land needs to be claimed for trash.

Organic waste makes up a large percentage of overall waste. Paper and cardboard account for 27% of waste, while lawn trimmings and food waste account for 28%. Organic material does break down fairly easily, which helps in the reduction of space needed for waste storage. Many communities allow residents to recycle their organic waste, which is then composted.

Reducing the amount of waste produced is a simple solution. However, it may not always seem simple. Reusing products is another important option. Look at the things you toss on a daily basis and deciding if you can get more life out of the item.

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Did you know that the average American will throw away 600 times their adult weight in garbage over the course of a lifetime? That is a lot of trash and highlights why trash removal is such an important industry.

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Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

Opportunities to recycle can be made available at access points for all modes of transportation, including air, rail, bus, car, and boat.

Learn how to set up a recycling program at a transportation hub. Successful recycling programs often reduce disposal costs and can generate revenue for these hubs.

Public Mass Transit

Surface transportation includes buses, trains, subways, and boats. Place large collection bins near the entrances and exits to train stations or beside bus stops adjacent to trash cans. Remember, signage is very important to let the public know how and why to recycle.

Target Areas

Education is essential in motivating commuters and travelers to recycle. Easily accessible recycling bins and clear signage—in multiple languages, as necessary-can help ensure the success of recycling programs in mass transit hubs.

Tips:

Use large, clearly labeled signs to let the public know what materials they can recycle.

Label signs with both graphics and words to communicate with non-English speakers. Consider posting signs in more than one language.

Advertise the location of recycling bins and the importance of using them over the loudspeaker, in transit ads, on printed schedules, and on the web.

Post information and promotional messages in the station and on buses and trains.

Bin Selection and Location

Choosing appropriately sized and shaped bins can help reduce contamination-or the mixing of trash with the desired recyclable material.

Tips:

Use bins with slotted lids to minimize contamination.

Place recycling bins near trash cans.

Success Stories

Tools & Resources

Highway Rest Areas

Much of the waste that is generated at highway rest areas comes from the packaging of products sold by concessionaires. Visit our Concessionaires & Vendors page to learn how to involve these valuable partners and encourage them to reduce waste as much as possible. Typical recyclables common at rest areas are plastic bottles, glass bottles, and aluminum cans. Rest area managers have two options for collecting bottles and cans: (1) collecting each material in a separate bin or (2) collecting plastic, glass, and metal containers together in one bin.

Target Areas

Bin Locations

Road-weary motorists rely on highway rest areas to refuel their vehicles, grab a bite to eat, and take a quick break before getting back on the road to their final destinations. Patrons do not have time to search for recycling bins, so bins should be placed adjacent to trash cans and in high-visibility areas—both inside facilities and in the parking areas.

Tips:

Make sure clearly labeled recycling bins are placed near each trash cans.

Consider using specialized lids to target cans and bottles and reduce mixing of trash in with recyclables.

Place bins, particularly for bottles and cans, in parking lot areas.

Clear signage with well-marked recycling bins is essential to help motorists easily recognize and choose to use the recycling bins in rest areas.

Tips:

Mark each recycling bin to clearly show the public what materials may be recycled.

Use signs and posters throughout the rest area to remind people to recycle.

Success Stories

Tools & Resources

The Green Highways Partnership (GHP) is a voluntary, public/private initiative that is revolutionizing our nation's transportation infrastructure. Through concepts such as integrated planning, regulatory flexibility, and market-based rewards, GHP seeks to incorporate environmental streamlining and stewardship into all aspects of the highway lifecycle. A component of this initiative is providing recycling receptacles at highway rest stops.

Airports

Airports generate tons of waste—and recyclable materials—every day, including beverage containers, newspaper, office paper, and cardboard. Airports, therefore, are in a position to make great strides in promoting and benefiting from recycling.

Target Areas

Bin Selection and Location

Choosing appropriately sized and shaped bins can help reduce contamination-or the mixing of trash with the desired recyclable material.

Tips:

Use bins with slotted lids to minimize contamination.

Place recycling bins near trash cans.

Education is essential in motivating travelers to recycle. Easily accessible recycling bins and clear signage—in multiple languages, as necessary—can help ensure the success of recycling programs in mass transit hubs.

Tips:

Use large, clearly labeled signs to let the public know what materials they can recycle.

Label signs with both graphics and words to communicate with non-English speakers. Consider posting signs in more than one language.

Advertise the location of recycling bins and the importance of using them in transit ads, on printed schedules, and on the web.

Post information and promotional messages throughout the terminals.

Success Stories

Tools & Resources

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Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource. Opportunities to recycle can be made available at access points for all modes of transportation, including air, rail, bus, car, and boat. Learn how to set up a recycling program at a transportation hub.

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LRS leads in waste and recycling services for businesses and communities across the Midwest. Find services in your area.

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Nearly all countries agree to stem flow of plastic waste into poor nations

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US reportedly opposed deal, which follows concerns that villages in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia had ‘turned into dumpsites’

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How can people reduce the trash that is in the ocean

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How can people reduce the trash that is in the ocean

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The water bottle could be from Los Angeles, the food container from Manila, the plastic bag from Shanghai.

But whatever its source, almost all of the trash in the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch comes from countries around the Pacific Rim.

Concerned about the millions of tons of garbage in the patch - a floating blob halfway between California and Hawaii that's twice the size of Texas - the Ocean Cleanup project is sending out a giant floating trash collector to try to scoop it up. The first of its cleanup systems launches Saturday near San Francisco.

It's a daunting task: The patch includes about 1.8 trillion pieces of trash and weighs 88,000 tons - the equivalent of 500 jumbo jets.

And while many scientists say it's great that people are trying to clean up the patch, others say most of the efforts should instead go toward stopping the out-of-control flow of plastic garbage into the ocean.

How much more? Try putting 95 percent of the efforts on stopping plastic from entering the ocean and only 5 percent on cleanup, says Richard Thompson, head of the International Marine Litter Research Unit at the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom.

Thompson said a global-scale effort is needed to combat the problem, one that includes contributions from individuals, policymakers and industry. "The way we use plastics - from design to use to disposal - must be done more efficiently and in a more environmentally friendly manner."

George Leonard, chief scientist with the Ocean Conservatory, said: "The clock is ticking. We must confront this challenge before plastics overwhelm the ocean."

Go deeper: See how t he Great Pacific Garbage Patch feeds off our throw-away culture
More: 6 things you can do to stop plastic pollution today
Where does it come from?

First discovered in the early 1990s, the garbage patch's trash comes from countries around the Pacific Rim, including nations in Asia and North and South America, said Laurent Lebreton of the Ocean Cleanup Foundation.

But specifically, scientists say, the bulk of the garbage patch trash comes from China and other Asian countries.

This shouldn't be a surprise: Overall, worldwide, most of the plastic trash in the ocean comes from Asia. In fact, the top six countries for ocean garbage are China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Thailand, according to a 2015 study in the journal Science.

The United States contributes as much as 242 million pounds of plastic trash to the ocean every year, according to that study.

China has begun to take steps to stem the tide of trash floating from its shores. The country recently banned the import of most plastic waste, according to a study published in June in Science Advances.

China has imported about 45 percent of the world's plastic waste since 1992 for recycling, the study found. In the U.S. alone, nearly 4,000 shipping containers full of plastic recyclables a day had been shipped to Chinese recycling plants.

Now where will all that waste go?

"It's hard to predict what will happen to the plastic waste that was once destined for Chinese processing facilities," said Jenna Jambeck, associate professor at the University of Georgia's College of Engineering and co-author of the study. "Some of it could be diverted to other countries, but most of them lack the infrastructure to manage their own waste, let alone the waste produced by the rest of the world."

That decision means the U.S. and other industrialized countries that have been exporting their plastic waste to China for recycling will need to find new ways to handle the disposal of their trash, because much of it is already starting to pile up in landfills.

The trash in the ocean could be around for a very long time: "Most plastics don't biodegrade in any meaningful sense, so the plastic waste humans have generated could be with us for hundreds or even thousands of years," Jambeck said.

Because plastic has been around only since the 1950s, there's no way of knowing exactly how long it will last in the ocean. If left alone, the plastic could remain there for decades, centuries or even longer, Jambeck said.

And we're talking a lot of trash.

Every year, an estimated 8 million to 12 million metric tons of plastics enter the ocean on top of the estimated 150 million metric tons already in our marine environments, according to the Ocean Conservancy.

Whether by errant plastic bags or plastic straws winding their way into gutters or large amounts of mismanaged plastic waste streaming from rapidly growing economies, that's like dumping one New York City garbage truck full of plastic into the ocean every minute of every day for an entire year.

From the tiniest plankton to the largest whales, plastics affect nearly 700 species in the ocean. And, incredibly, trash has reached the stomachs of some of the deepest fish in the ocean.

Researchers said 73 percent of deepwater fish in the North Atlantic Ocean had eaten particles of plastic, known as microplastics. That's among the highest percentages ever found in fish on Earth, according to a recent study.

Another study by the British research firm Eunomia said there may be as much as 70 million tons of plastic waste on the sea floor alone.
More: More: More: Starbucks to scrap plastic straws globally by 2020 Boba, or bubble tea, shops wrestle with plastic straw ban Top 10 trash items found littering our beaches and waterways - and the weirdest
And it's not just fish or marine life that's affected, it's us: Rolf Halden, a professor of environmental health engineering at Arizona State University, said every human being in the developed world has traces of plastic constituents in his or her blood.

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Where did the trash in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch come from? How do we stop it?

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The water bottle could be from Los Angeles, the food container from Manila, the plastic bag from Shanghai. But whatever its source, almost all of the trash in the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch comes from countries around the Pacific Rim.

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Marine debris is litter that ends up in the ocean, seas, and other large bodies of water.

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I chose this topic because I care about the marine lives that eat the garbages and are trapped in the garbages, fishes is our food too but, when they get sick by eating trash, we will eat the sick fish so, it is harmful to human too!

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I chose this topic because I care about the marine lives that eat the garbages and are trapped in the garbages, fishes is our food too but, when they get sick by eating trash, we will eat the sick fish so, it is harmful to human too!

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One study found Fulmars, ocean going birds that visit our waters, have over 30 pieces of plastic in their stomachs. A sea turtle found dead off Hawaii had over 1000 pieces of plastics in its intestines.

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By James Thompson, Principal, Waste Business Journal; Member, SWEEP Steering Committee

The average price to landfill a ton of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the US continues its slow, steady rise to nearly $49 last month. That was up from $48 or 1.5 percent from a year ago. The cost to landfill a ton of construction debris rose nearly 4 percent to $40 this year from about $38 last year, reflecting the rebound in home prices and new construction. The modest rise in pricing for MSW is attributable to modest economic growth but also indicates discipline among waste management firms that are seeking to avoid costly market share wars with one another as had been done in the past.

Waste firms today, by virtue of industry consolidation and clever asset allocation and acquisitions, are more vertically integrated than ever and work hard to move waste from its point of collection to processing and disposal in the most efficient manner possible.

The availability of landfill space is a big factor in determining pricing, which is why pricing varies by more than a factor of two among different regions of the country as shown in the table below. The most important variables determining average tip-fees include: available landfill space, population density, which dictates demand for disposal, economic activity, regulation, available infrastructure and other factors.

Consequently, prices are highest in the Northeast, which has the least landfill space amid high population density. There, the cost to landfill a ton of MSW is currently $78. Contrast that with the Midwest, where the cost is closer to the national average at $48. The difference in pricing between these regions explains why much of the Northeast's wastes are exported to Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio and other more rural nearby states. This volume from the Northeast, in turn, drives up the pricing in the Midwest. Further away in the Southeast, it's even cheaper to dump: $41 per ton of MSW. The Western states, with so much space available amid relatively lower population density, has the lowest cost to landfill a ton of MSW at $35. The cost to landfill in the Pacific states is around $57, primarily due to both population and greater regulation, which limits landfill space and mandates greater diversion and recycling.
Cost to Landfill a Ton of MSW by Year and Region

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Landfill Waste Costs Continued to Rise in 2016

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By James Thompson, Principal, Waste Business Journal; Member, SWEEP Steering Committee The average price to landfill a ton of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the US continues its slow, steady rise to nearly $49 last month. That was up from $48 or 1.5 percent from a year ago.

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The report, Marine Debris: Understanding, Preventing and Mitigating the Significant Adverse Impacts on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity found that the number of species affected by marine debris has increased from 663 to 817 since 2012. It also warned that this type of waste, which is mostly made of plastic, is an increasing threat to human health and well-being, and is costing countries billions of dollars each year.

"I hope that this report will provide governments and other stakeholders with the information needed to take urgent actions to address marine debris, one of the most prominent threats to marine ecosystems, and support healthy and resilient oceans as a critical aspect of achieving sustainable development," said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, the Executive Director of the Convention on Biological Diversity ( CBD).

The report was launched in Cancun, Mexico, on the sidelines of the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to Convention, known as 'COP13,' where governments and private sector delegations have been gathered since 2 December to discuss, among others, how to integrate biodiversity into policies relevant to agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism sectors. The meeting wraps up on 17 December.

Marine debris is usually defined as any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of, or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment. Three-quarters of all marine debris is plastic, a persistent and potentially hazardous pollutant, which fragments into microplastics that can be taken up by a wide range of marine organisms.

The most common types of marine debris are: food wrappers, bottle caps, straws, grocery bags, beverage bottles and cigarette butts. Five of these items are made of plastic.

Marine and coastal species - fish, seabirds, marine mammals and reptiles - are affected by marine debris mostly through ingestion or entanglement. According to the report, 40 per cent of cetaceans, and 44 per cent of seabird species are affected by marine debris ingestion. The effect of ingestion is not always understood, as many ingest microplastics - little pieces or fragments that are less than five millimetres in diameter.

The problem with plastic

Plastic is a very common material in our daily lives - eight per cent of global oil production is used to make plastic items. However, it is hard to dispose of and many times is discarded after a single use - think of plastic bags to carry groceries, wrapping for packages, among many others.

Annual plastic production has substantially increased over the last 60 years, from 1.5 million tonnes in the 1950s to 288 million tonnes in 2012, with approximately two-thirds of production occurring in East Asia, Europe and North America. Current global estimates for plastic waste indicate that 192 coastal countries generated 275 million tonnes of waste in 2010, of which between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes (1.8 - 4.6 per cent) entered the marine environment.

The economic cost

Marine debris has an adverse effect in the commercial fishing, shipping and tourism industries. The report also notes that previous research places the cost of pollution caused by marine debris at $13 billion.

Some of the cost includes repairing vessel damage, clean-up, and decrease in tourism revenues due to polluted beaches. There are also social impacts such as direct, short-term human health issues (injuries, entanglement and navigational hazards) and long-term impacts on quality of life.

The report makes recommendations for governments and citizens to reduce marine debris. Some of them include: reducing plastic packaging, introducing fees for single-use items, banning items like plastic bags and microbeads, and supporting innovation for new materials that are fully biodegradable. In addition, governments should increase awareness of the impacts of marine debris among their citizens, and facilitate recycling and reusing options, among other measures.

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New UN report finds marine debris harming more than 800 species, costing countries millions

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The report, Marine Debris: Understanding, Preventing and Mitigating the Significant Adverse Impacts on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity found that the number of species affected by marine debris has increased from 663 to 817 since 2012.

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10 of the most dangerous plastics polluting our oceans

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Plastic pollution lows into our oceans at an alarming rate. We’ve identified the most harmful plastics found in our oceans.

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Preventing the generation of disposable products as much as possible reduces the amount of money needed for controlling and managing trash and litter. Prevention is both cost-effective and better for the environment.

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Our Blue Planet

Extraordinary interactions between rare false killer whales and bottlenose dolphins have been captured by the team behind Blue Planet II.

Once thought of as enemies, these two species of dolphin are in fact best friends for life.

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Why marine animals can't stop eating plastic

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Extraordinary interactions between rare false killer whales and bottlenose dolphins have been captured by the team behind Blue Planet II. Once thought of as enemies, these two species of dolphin are in fact best friends for life.

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How does the garbage impact the marine life

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this where I found the answer

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the great pacific garbage patch

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hi, I'm Daniel I am researching about ocean pollution

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my topic is the great pacific garbage patch

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Information About Sea Turtles: Threats from Marine Debris

The Problem: Over 1 million marine animals (including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, and birds) are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean ( UNESCO Facts & Figures on Marine Pollution). Currently, it is estimated that there are 100 million tons of plastic in oceans around the world. It is expected that another 60 billion pounds will be produced this year alone. In some areas, the buildup of plastics is estimated to span 5 million square miles. To put it into perspective, that is the equivalent of the area of the U.S. plus India. How does that much plastic get there? Eighty percent of the plastic debris comes from land. It washes out to sea from our beaches, streets and highways. It flows out through storm drains into streams and rivers. It flies away from landfills and into the stomachs of sea turtles everywhere. Most of the debris is recognizable. Plastic bags, bottles, balloons, degraded buoys, packaging materials and food wrappers all contribute to the debris. While large plastics are a substantial pollutant, over time these plastics will break down into smaller, more toxic pieces. Not only are these small plastics more easily ingested, but they also act as hosts for invasive species, carrying them to other regions of the ocean exponentially increasing the damages caused by plastics. In addition, certain plastic contains toxic additives that are distributed into the water and enter into the food chain.

Many turtles, that have been killed by consuming debris, had plastic bags or fishing line in their stomachs, some as small as half of a fingernail. Sea turtles are especially susceptible to the effects of consuming marine debris due to their bodies' own structure. They have downward facing spines in their throats which prevent the possibility of regurgitation. The plastics get trapped in their stomach, which prevents them from properly swallowing food. Also, many sea turtle rehabilitation facilities commonly deal with "bubble butts," turtles that float as a result of trapped gas caused by harmful decomposition of marine debris inside a turtle's body. The gases cause the turtle to float, which leads to starvation or makes them an easy target for predators.

Species Affected: All species of sea turtles, adult green turtles to a lesser degree, are affected by marine debris. Juvenile green turtles are heavily affected by marine debris.

The Solution: Education is important to solving marine pollution. The public can get involved in this issue by:

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle plastics;

Use reusable cloth bags instead of plastic bags when shopping;

Support local, regional and nationwide bans on plastic grocery bags;

Don't litter. Instead, volunteer at local beach clean-up events;

Make sure to properly secure your garbage to prevent any fly-away plastics;

Don't release balloons into the air. They travel far and end up in our oceans being consumed by sea turtles that mistake them for food.

Case Study: Cities and countries all over the world are now considering or implementing bans on plastic bags. Canada, Australia, the U.S. and Europe, for example are all considering bans or other measures to reduce consumption. In Ireland, plastic bags have been taxed since 2002, estimating a reduction in plastic bag use by almost 90 percent. And in January 2008, China's State Council put a nationwide ban on plastic bags. The cabinet has demanded all stores go plastic bag-free after June 1. Not only will this reduction have a positive impact on the environment, but it is estimated that it will save China's 37 million barrels of oil.*

*Drilling for oil also causes sea turtles harm in the form of pollution from spills.
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Information About Sea Turtles: Threats from Marine Debris - Sea Turtle Conservancy

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The Problem: Over 1 million marine animals (including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, and birds) are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean ( UNESCO Facts & Figures on Marine Pollution). Currently, it is estimated that there are 100 million tons of plastic in oceans around the world.