# data[].attributes.body
http://www.oceansplasticleanup.com/8_Million_12_Tons_Plastic_Marine_Pollution_Per_Year.htm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
8 - 12 MILLION TONS PER YEAR

PLEASE USE OUR A-Z INDEX TO NAVIGATE THIS SITE

A staggering 8-12 million tons of plastic is being flushed into the oceans every year. This is expected to rise significantly over the next decade unless we take immediate action. But the G20 and United Nations have no plans for direct action.

Of the 8-12 millions tons, international cleaning efforts could scoop up around 10.5%, leaving 89.5% free to poison marine life and eventually pollute the ocean floor. This figure is only an approximation. But it shows us two things:

1. That it is possible to make a significant difference if we try.

2. That we need to consider using more technology to get us out of this mess.

Of the 10.5%, 8.33% is mechanically collected (planned drifting scoop operations) with 2.17% hand picked from beaches. Machines are by far the most promising options for mass ocean cleaning.

With the increase forecast, we need to scale down plastic use on land to only that we need to maintain society sustainably. Even with bans on single use plastic, we will not be able to stem the plastic tide.

We could ban plastic altogether, if not for the fact that modern humans need plastic for medical appliances, computers and cheaper cars. That is not it of course.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FEBRUARY 2015

Scientists have come up with a new way to measure ocean trash - and the numbers are even worse than thought.

In 2010, eight million tons of plastic trash ended up in the ocean from coastal countries - far more than the total that has been measured floating on the surface in the ocean's "garbage patches."

That's the bad news. The even worse news is that the tonnage is on target to increase tenfold in the next decade unless the world finds a way to improve how garbage is collected and managed.

The findings are part of a groundbreaking study published Thursday in Science that for the first time quantifies how much garbage flows into the world's oceans every year.

Until now, most efforts to measure ocean debris have involved sample counts of plastic floating on the surface in large garbage patches in each of the world's oceans. A study last year, for example, estimated the amount of floating trash to be 245,000 tons at most.

TOP TEN Worst Offenders

The new study also identifies the major sources of plastic debris and names the top 20 countries generating the greatest amount of ocean-bound trash. China is first. The United States is 20th. The rest of the list includes 11 other Asian countries, Turkey, five African countries, and Brazil.

Even though the United States has a highly developed garbage collection system, it nevertheless made the top 20 for two reasons: It has a large, dense coastal population and, as a wealthy nation, is a large consumer of products. (See video: "Are You Eating Plastic for Dinner?")

"What we have done is look at the other side of the equation-what's coming out of the faucet, rather than what's already in the bathtub," says Kara Lavender Law, an oceanographer at the Sea Education Association in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and a co-author of the report.

"The size of the discrepancy is huge - 20 to 2,000 times more than the range of estimates of floating debris. That is pretty shocking, especially when you consider that the amount going into the ocean in a single year and what we're counting in the oceans has been going in for 50 years."

To make the figure eight million tons comprehensible, Jenna Jambeck, the University of Georgia environmental engineer who led the study, likens it to lining up five grocery bags of trash on every foot of coastline around the globe.

"And by 2025, those five grocery bags of plastic are going to be ten bags," she says.

That would be 155 million tons a year if present garbage management practices remain the same.

TOP TEN - 1. China 2. Indonesia 3. Philippines 4. Vietnam 5. Sri Lanka 6. Thailand 7. Malaysia 8. Egypt 9. Nigeria 10. Bangladesh

Plastic, Plastic Everywhere

Jambeck and her team combined population and economic data from 192 coastal countries bordering the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans in addition to the Black and Mediterranean Seas. They found that these countries created 275 million tons of garbage annually, of which 4.8 to 12.7 million tons of plastic flowed into the oceans. That's only 2 to 5 percent of the total waste created in those countries.

The use of plastics for consumer products has become increasingly dominant, and production has steadily increased since the material was first put into wide use a half century ago. In 2012, for example, 288 million tons of plastic were manufactured globally.

Ocean plastic has turned up literally everywhere. It has been found in the deep sea and buried in Arctic ice. It has been ingested with dire consequences by some 700 species of marine wildlife.

The pioneering study also creates a new mystery. Because the gap between what is found floating and what flows into the ocean is so large, scientists now have to figure out where else it collects and in what amounts.

"What we need to do now is close the gap," Richard Thompson, a marine biologist at the U.K.'s Plymouth University.

8 BILLION TONS - A superb infographic from Janet A Beckley, University of Georgia

DAILY MAIL FEBRUARY 2015

Eight million tons of plastic is dumped at sea each year...that's five whole bags-full for every foot of the world's coastline

- China topped the league, accounting for up to 3.5 million tons a year
- Other main offenders are Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Sri Lanka
- United States contributes just 77,000 tons, which is less than 1%

So much plastic is dumped into the sea each year that it would fill five carrier bags for every foot of coastline on the planet, scientists have warned.

Around 8million tons of plastic bottles, bags, toys and other plastic rubbish ends up in the world's oceans each year.

The 'staggering' total is much higher than previous estimates - and enough to leave an area around 25 times the size of Manchester ankle-deep in plastic waste.

Because of the difficulties in working out the exact amount, since much of it may have sunk, the scientists said the true figure could be as much as 12.7million tons polluting the ocean each year.

Dr Jenna Jambeck, one of the researchers from the University of Georgia in the US, said we are becoming 'overwhelmed by our waste'.

The team also warned that this 'ocean of plastic' can harm sea life.

Turtles can mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them. The bags then block their stomachs, which causes them to starve to death.

Sea birds also often mistake floating plastic for food; over 90 per cent of fulmars found dead around the North Sea have plastic in their stomachs. It is also feared that it could harm our health to eat fish that have consumed plastic.

The scientists reached their figures by analysing data on the amount of waste generated and how well it is disposed of in 192 coastal countries.

This included litter left on beaches as well as plastic from fly-tipping and badly-managed rubbish dumps.

Their figures are much higher than those from previous studies, which only looked at rubbish floating on the surface and did not factor in the plastic that had sunk to the sea floor or was trapped in ice.

They estimated that between 4.7million and 12.7million tons of plastic made its way into the world's oceans in 2010, with a best estimate of 8million tons.

The figure is expected to rise each year. Between 2010 and 2025, some 155million tons of plastic could be dumped into the ocean - enough to fill 100 bags per foot of coastline.

Piled one on top of the other, the bags would create a wall of rubbish 100ft high.

China topped the league of plastic polluters, accounting for up to 3.5million tons a year, or almost a quarter of the total, the American Association for Advancement of Science's annual conference in San Jose, California, heard.

SAMPLED - Dr Jenna Jambeck conducted a study of dozens or rivers, widely reported in 2015, University of Georgia.

Writing in the journal Science, Dr Jambeck said that while the UK isn't among the worst polluters, we cannot be complacent, adding that global action is needed to tackle the problem.

Co-author Roland Geyer, associate professor of industrial ecology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said: 'Large-scale removal of plastic marine debris is not going to be cost-effective and quite likely simply unfeasible.

'This means we need to prevent plastic from entering the oceans in the first place through better waste management, more reuse and recycling, better product design and material substitution.'

Co-author Roland Geyer, associate professor of industrial ecology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said: 'Large-scale removal of plastic marine debris is not going to be cost-effective and quite likely simply unfeasible.

'This means we need to prevent plastic from entering the oceans in the first place through better waste management, more reuse and recycling, better product design and material substitution.'

Frank Davis, director of the National Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in the US, said: 'The numbers are staggering but the problem is not insurmountable.'

The Daily Mail has been campaigning for seven years for tougher action to reduce plastic bag waste. A major victory came in June last year when a 5p charge for plastic bags was announced in England.

The charge, which will be introduced by October, is expected to reduce bag use by up to 80 per cent and raise up to £100million a year for good causes.

Around eight billion bags are currently handed out in England each year - or 150 per person.

Campaigners say the carrier bags can take up to 1,000 years to degrade - but are used on average for just 20 minutes. By Fiona Macrae In San Jose

SCOOPWHOOP FEBRUARY 2016 - In Just 35 Years, Oceans Will Contain More Plastic Than Fish. Oceans will have more plastics than fish by 2050 if the ongoing practice of dumping plastics continues, a World Economic Forum (WEF) report states.

In the report, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has said every year at least 8 million tonnes of plastics leak into the ocean, which is equivalent to dumping the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean every minute.

"If no action is taken, this is expected to increase to two per minute by 2030 and four per minute by 2050," it noted.

THE FIVE Rs

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repair

LINKS & REFERENCE

https://www.newsweek.com/2015/03/06/8-million-tons-trash-added-ocean-land-each-year-306456.html

https://www.vox.com/2015/2/12/8028267/plastic-garbage-patch-oceans

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2951256/Study-World-dumps-8-8-million-tons-plastics-oceans.html

https://phys.org/news/2017-07-billion-metric-tons-scientists-total.html

http://galileowatermark.com/ocn/

https://www.scoopwhoop.com/Oceans-Will-Have-More-Plastics-Than-Fish-By-2050/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/2/150212-ocean-debris-plastic-garbage-patches-science/

BUILD UP - Plastic has accumulated in five ocean hot spots called gyres, see here in this world map derived from information published by 5 Gyres. All that plastic just floating around is a huge waste of resources in a sustainable sense, where we should be aiming for a circular economy.
PLEASE USE OUR A-Z INDEX TO NAVIGATE THIS SITE
ABS - BIOMAGNIFICATION - CANCER - CARRIER BAGS - COTTON BUDS - DDT - FISHING NETS - HEAVY METALS - MARINE LITTER - MICROBEADS

MICRO PLASTICS - NYLON - OCEAN GYRES - OCEAN WASTE - PACKAGING - PCBS - PET - PETROLEUM - PLASTIC - PLASTICS - POLYCARBONATE

POLYOLEFINS - POLYPROPYLENE - POLYSTYRENE - POLYTHENE - POPS - PVC - SHOES - SINGLE USE - SOUP - STRAWS - WATER

This website is provided on a free basis as a public information service. copyright © Cleaner Oceans Foundation Ltd (COFL) (Company No: 4674774) 2019. Solar Studios, BN271RF, United Kingdom . COFL is a company without share capital.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
8 - 12 MILLIONS TONS OF MARINE PLASTIC POLLUTION PER YEAR

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Eight to twelve 8-12 millions tons of plastic is flushed into the oceans every year

# data[].attributes.body
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast/june14/mw126-garbagepatch.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An Ocean-Sized Problem

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is one of many areas in the ocean where marine debris naturally concentrates because of ocean currents. In this episode, Dianna Parker from the NOAA Marine Debris Program explains what a garbage patch is and isn't, what we know and don't know, and what we can do about this ocean-sized problem.

Listen:

Listen to our latest podcast
Download this podcast. What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? What does it look like? Why can't we just clean it up?
Transcript

This is Making Waves from NOAA's National Ocean Service. I'm Troy Kitch. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. I bet you've heard of it. It's a phrase that's really caught on in the past few years. And it's easy to see why: it conjures up a powerful image ... a vast vortex of human waste - plastic bags, tires, cans, barrels, you name it ... floating out there in the ocean. But here's the thing: it doesn't really look like that at all. What it looks like to the human eye, from satellites, is, for the most part, well ... not much at all. Most of it is all but invisible. How can that be? Well, I recently sat down with Dianna Parker from the NOAA Marine Debris Program to find out what the garbage patch is and isn't, what we know and don't know, and what we can do about this ocean-sized problem. Dianna, welcome and thanks for joining us. Let's start with the obvious question: what are we talking about when we say 'garbage patch?'

[Dianna Parker] "A lot of people hear the word patch and they immediately think of almost like a blanket of trash that can easily be scooped up, but actually these areas are always moving and changing with the currents, and it's mostly these tiny plastics that you can't immediately see with the naked eye."

I noticed that you said garbage patch 'areas.' So the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is only one area in the ocean where marine debris concentrates?

[Dianna Parker] "There are garbage patches all over the world. These are areas where debris naturally accumulates. So there are garbage patches of all different sizes and shapes and compositions. The one that we know the most about is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which lies in an area between Hawaii and California. What we know about this area is that it's made up of tiny micro plastics, almost akin to a peppery soup, with scattered larger items, fishing gear, those kind of items swirling around."

A peppery soup? Could you explain that again?

[Dianna Parker] "Well, imagine tiny, tiny micro plastics just swirling around, mixing in the water column from waves and wind, that's always moving and changing with the currents. These are tiny plastics that you might not even see if you sailed through the middle of the garbage patch, they're so small and mixed throughout the water column."

I would think that most of the plastics that ends up in the ocean are bigger pieces ... like bags and bottles and plastic toys. But you're saying that most of the plastic is so small that's it's hard or impossible to see. Can you talk a little more about the plastic debris in the ocean ... why it's so small?

[Dianna Parker] "There are many different kinds of plastics out in the ocean and they come from a number of different sources. So, there are teeny, tiny micro plastics out there that were either manufactured to be small - for example, the microbeads in face wash can be plastic; there are also little, tiny plastic pellets that we sometimes call ''nurdles' that are used to make larger items but then there are also tiny plastics that are shards of larger items. Plastics never really go away. They just break down over and over and over again until they become smaller and smaller from sunlight and other environmental factors [like] waves, big storms, those kind of things."

So we have these vast regions in the ocean where the water column looks like a peppery soup because of all these small bits and pieces of plastic. I would imagine this plastic kind of looks like food. Do we know if fish and birds are eating this stuff?

[Dianna Parker] "We know that some species of birds and fish eat micro plastics. They even eat some larger plastics. So for example, the Laysan Albatross in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, we know that just about every dead albatross found on Midway Atoll has some form of plastic in its stomach. We don't know if that's what killed it, but we know that this is becoming a big problem. So we know that there are micro plastics in the ocean. We know that birds and fish and even some larger marine mammals eat these plastics. We know there are chemicals in the plastics and we know that the chemicals can absorb other toxic chemicals that are floating around in the ocean. So now the big question is, what are those plastics doing to the animals that eat them."

I'm sure you get this question a lot: we know marine debris in the ocean is a bad thing ... so why don't we just clean it up? Especially if most of the trash is contained in 'garbage patch' areas because of the way the debris naturally accumulates because of ocean currents.

[Dianna Parker] "The words 'garbage patch' accurately describes what it is, because these are patches of ocean that contain our garbage. But they're not areas where you can easily go through and skim trash off the surface. First of all, because they are tiny micro plastics that aren't easily removable from the ocean. But also just because of the size of this area. We did some quick calculations that if you tried to clean up less than one percent of the North Pacific Ocean it would take 67 ships one year to clean up that portion. And the bottom line is that until we prevent debris from entering the ocean at the source, it's just going to keep congregating in these areas. We could go out and clean it all up and then still have the same problem on our hands as long as there's debris entering the ocean."

And that's really the big problem - to prevent the debris from entering the ocean in the first place. So what can you, me, or anyone do to help?

[Dianna Parker] "There's so much that we can do to keep debris from entering the ocean. It's as simple as changing your individual behavior every day, creating less waste, reusing what you can, remembering to recycle ... littering is obviously a no-no. And then going out and joining a beach clean up. It's difficult to really understand the problem until you get out there and see it first-hand, how bad the problem is."

And I imagine you've had plenty of opportunities to go out there and see how bad it is first-hand.

[Dianna Parker] "I absolutely have. For example, every year I go out with the International Coastal Cleanup and work to pick up trash from the Anacostia and Potomac in Washington, DC, and the amount of trash you find on the shorelines is just incredible. Bottles, bags, aerosol cans, all mixed together. In some places it's like a thick mat. And so these are really populous, urban areas. But then we also see the same kind of trash on really remote beaches. For example, I was on beach in Lanai in Hawaii and we found everything from plastic bottles to flip flops, fishing gear, we found an entire couch. And some of this debris was clearly local and some of it had clearly come from other countries around the Pacific Rim. So debris can touch even the most remote places."

Given what you know, working on this problem day in and day out, I would think it would feel kind of like a hopeless, overwhelming problem.

[Dianna Parker] "It's not a hopeless situation. Marine debris is absolutely a solvable problem because it comes from us humans and our everyday practices. We can take any number of steps to keep it from entering the ocean and that can happen at the highest level with governments and it can happen at the lowest level individuals and everyday choices."

Thanks, Dianna, for taking the time to chat with us about this. That was Dianna Parker, communications specialist with NOAA's Marine Debris Program. Want to learn more? Check our show notes for the links. You can find us on the web at oceanservice.noaa.gov. Have a question? Shoot us an email at nos.info@noaa.gov. And thanks for listening to Making Waves from NOAA's National Ocean Service.

From corals to coastal science, catch the current of the ocean with our audio and video podcast, Making Waves.

Subscribe to Feed | Subscribe in iTunes

Search Our Podcasts

Get Social

More Information

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
national oceanic and atmospheric administration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The great pacific garbage patch. I bet you've heard of it. It's a phrase that's really caught on in the past few years. And it's easy to see why: it conjures up a powerful image ... a vast vortex of human waste -- plastic bags, tires, cans, barrels, you name it ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Most marine debris (80%) comes from trash and debris in urban runoff, i.e. land-based sources. Key components of land-based sources include litter, trash and debris from construction, ports and marinas, commercial and industrial facilities, and trash blown out of garbage containers, trucks, and land…

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.cleanwateraction.org/2018/05/24/43-ways-reduce-your-plastic-disposable-waste

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The number of plastic disposables produced has risen from 2 million tons to 380 million tons between 1950 and 2015, half of which has been produced within the last 13 years ( The Ocean Conservancy). However, making small changes in our daily lifestyles can reduce our use of plastics. Over time, our consumer choices reduce the demand for this notorious material and ultimately stem its production. How do you reduce your plastic waste? Here is a list of ideas presented by ReThink Disposable to either get you started or expand upon your current low-plastic lifestyle. Some of these are obvious, while others are a bit more obscure. See how many you can check off the list!

Home and Family

1. Eliminate straws and refuse straws at restaurants. If you need one, buy a metal, glass, or bamboo straw instead.

2. When getting food from restaurants, eat on-site instead of ordering take-out (it's fun to go out sometimes, no?).

3. Buy bar soap instead of liquid soap.

4. Avoid buying single serving sizes of yogurt, hummus, etc. if you know it will not go to waste (works especially well for mid to large-size families).

5. Consider swapping plastic wrap and zip-lock bags in the kitchen for glass containers, or even use wrap made from beeswax instead of plastic.

6. Make your own yogurt, hummus, guacamole, bread, or any other foods that come in plastic packaging (nutritious and delicious!).

7. Buy condiments stored in glass containers instead of plastic containers.

8. Use fabric tablecloths for parties instead of plastic ones.

9. Avoid buying plastic toys; buy eco-friendly ones or experiential gifts instead.

10. If you have a yard or access to a P-Patch, consider starting your own garden to grow your own fruits and veggies.

11. Use plastic items to their fullest extent before replacing them. This includes everything from phone cases, flip flops, headphones, sunglasses, etc.

12. Try eliminating garbage can liners around the house, especially in cans typically used for waste without much liquid. Throw trash in the cans directly.

13. Eliminate disposable plastic dishware and utensils from your party routine. When having guests, try to use reusable dishware.

14. Avoid giving out plastic party favors at birthday parties, weddings, and other events (Yes, this might mean ditch the bubbles for something more creative! Birdseed, butterflies, and bells are just a few of many potential alternatives.)

15. Avoid crafts that use glitter and other plastic-intensive materials.

16. Buy music, movies, etc. digitally instead of CDs and DVDs in plastic cases.

School, Office, and On-the-Go

1. Bring reusable bags to the grocery store, mall, drugstore, and anywhere else you shop.

2. Bring reusable mesh cotton bags to the grocery store for produce.

3. Bring a reusable cup when you are on-the-go for your favorite coffee, water, or drink!

4. Avoid using plastic stirrers for your coffee.

5. Bring your own lunch to work in glass, metal, or hard plastic reusable containers.

6. Bring reusable utensils and bottles with you when you know you'll be on-the-go.

7. Order ice cream in a cone instead of using a cup and spoon.

8. When ordering take-out, tell restaurants not to include condiment packages if you know you won't use them.

9. Takes notes on a laptop if you have one instead of using notebooks and binders with plastic covers. Otherwise, use notebooks with cardboard covers instead of plastic notebooks and binders.

10. Eliminate coffee pods from home and work.

11. Use refillable pens.

12. When getting food on-the-go, order something that requires little dishware and utensils like a sandwich rather than a soup or salad.

13. Make sure garbage bags are full before throwing them away. When at hotels, consolidate your trash to one trash can instead of two-otherwise both bags will be thrown out each day regardless of how full they are.

14. Bring your own reusable containers when you know you will be taking leftovers from restaurants and parties.

15. Opt for wooden pencils instead of plastic lead-filled ones.

Personal Hygiene

1. Buy floss in glass containers; avoid plastic toothpicks and floss with plastic handles.

2. Swap Q-tips with plastic handles for paper ones.

3. Use cloth napkins and towels to avoid plastic packaging around paper ones (reduces paper waste too!).

4. Use a razor with refillable heads.

5. Quit smoking. Many cigarette filters are made of plastic.

6. Try alternatives to plastic bandages. For small cuts, use Vitamin E oil, coconut and tea tree oil, or liquid bandage. For larger wounds that must be covered, use cloth bandage and paper medical tape. Flour can also be used to slow bleeding.

7. For exfoliation, use natural alternatives to microbead exfoliators such as charcoal, walnut shell, etc.

8. Eliminate buying unnecessary cleaning products. Many household surfaces can be cleaned with a simple water and vinegar mixture in a glass spray bottle.

9. Wash your hands with water and bar soap instead of hand sanitizer (bonus points if you don't use paper towels!)

10. Ladies, opt for feminine products that do not have plastic applicators.

11. Swap plastic toothbrushes for brushes made of bamboo.

12. Review your beauty routine and eliminate any unnecessary hair products, lotions, etc. that come in plastic containers.

Making changes to the things we do, the products we use (and throw away), the food we eat, and encouraging others to join us can have a big impact. We can all do our part to help keep our forests breathtaking, our oceans beautiful, and our lakes and rivers pristine. If you are a business or restaurant interested in joining our award-winning ReThink Disposable program to help reduce single-use disposables and save money, please visit us at www.rethinkdisposable.org or email njcwa@cleanwater.org.
ReThink Disposable is funded by a grant through the Northeast Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Trash Free Waters initiatives, and the Environmental Endowment of New Jersey.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
43 Ways to Reduce Your Plastic Disposable Waste

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The number of plastic disposables produced has risen from 2 million tons to 380 million tons between 1950 and 2015, half of which has been produced within the last 13 years (The Ocean Conservancy). However, making small changes in our daily lifestyles can reduce our use of plastics.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In our efforts to reduce waste, we have often heard people say that the "real" problem is the people who throw their garbage on the sidewalk and out their car windows. Of course, we agree that we should change this behavior, but the truth is that littering is not the real problem. We need to change the entire system because the plastic trash that floats in the world's oceans actually decompose and release potentially toxic substances into the water.

First, much of the litter items we see-aluminum cans, straws, plastic bags, etc.-are lightweight and easily blow off of garbage trucks, landfills, and off the tops of recycling and trash cans. How often have we seen overflowing bins with trash spilling over onto the sidewalk? These items are also easily transported during rain events, when rain carries them downstream and into watersheds, usually ending up in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Therefore, even items that are properly disposed find their way into local neighborhoods and critical habitats alike.

Second, many other nations do not have formal waste systems like we have in the U.S. Companies like Unilever and Nestle have targeted these regions by selling them items in an "affordable" manner by packaging them in small sizes, such as deodorant, shampoo, and candy. This results in large profits for the corporate giants but leaves residents in a sea of plastic trash.

Finally, even when plastic trash is properly disposed and goes to its intended destination, it still causes problems. Plastic that is sent to landfills mixes with organic waste, which causes plastic residues to leach into the soil and groundwater. Conversely, plastic that is sent to an incinerator is burned, which emits toxic fumes into the atmosphere and decreases air quality.

We have also had many partners and community members tell us that they do their part for the environment by recycling their plastic. As commendable as recycling is however, it is simply not enough.

The life cycle of disposable products and the harm that comes with it is much more than meets the eye. First, petroleum must be extracted from underground, much of which is located under critical habitats. Then, materials must be hauled in trucks-which emit pollutants and carbon dioxide- to processing plants, which require energy and water to transform the raw materials into products like coffee lids and utensils. The finished products are then transported hundreds of miles to their place of use, where they are typically used for about 20 minutes or less before being thrown in the recycling bin. From there, the items must be hauled once again to a recycling facility hundreds or often thousands of miles away to be transformed once again, which requires even more energy and water, before being carried yet again by truck or barge to another destination for use. Even with recycling included in the cycle, the whole process destroys habitats, emits pollutants and greenhouse gases, spends energy, and wastes water.

Thus, the issue is not just with certain people and their behavior; the issue is that there are just too many of these plastic items in the first place. By eliminating these items from our daily routine, we curb their profitability and thereby reduce and ultimately stop their production. The surefire way to prevent litter, groundwater contamination, air pollution, and harm to marine life is to get rid of single-use plastics from the start.
What You Can Do:
Through our ReThink Disposable program, Clean Water educates and partners with businesses and individuals how to tackle the true culprit-plastic itself. For more information on our work or to get your business involved, visit www.rethinkdisposable.org. As we wrap up Plastic Free July, we hope you gained a few new plastic-free habits that you can continue to implement throughout the year. Have a sustainable summer!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In our efforts to reduce waste, we have often heard people say that the "real" problem is the people who throw their garbage on the sidewalk and out their car windows. Of course, we agree that we should change this behavior, but the truth is that littering is not the real problem.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.packagingdigest.com/sustainability/sea-voices-trends-and-perspectives-marine-plastic-pollution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A key theme in this year's conversations on sustainable packaging has been what to do about the (mostly) plastic packaging that ends up as marine litter. This year has seen a deluge of responses to the public outcry around this very visible and emotionally provocative issue.

Governments have responded with various regulations, and companies have responded with commitments to improve recycling rates and markets, as well as initiatives to invest in recycling technology and infrastructure. As a society, we are just now starting on the path to figuring out which solutions are most appropriate in which contexts.

The problem is marine litter, not plastics. Many in the packaging industry and sustainability space believe that demonizing plastics in packaging and other applications is an emotional reaction to plastic pollution, and that the problem really should be framed as marine litter, not plastics overall. Indeed, plastics are a versatile material with unique properties that sometimes do not have any viable substitutes. Problems emerge when they are mismanaged at end-of-life since they take a long time to break down in the environment. But not all plastics are mismanaged in all places. In Norway for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles have a 97% recycling rate.

It is possible for plastics to be managed at their end of life through a variety of methods. While we cannot all be Norway, there are successful examples of countries managing some plastics. Research shows that the biggest contributors to marine plastic pollution are land-based sources in emerging economies, namely Asia and Africa, which lack adequate infrastructure to manage these materials. Clearly these regions represent critical places for intervention.

Terminology around bio-based and biodegradable materials is confusing and potentially harmful in the marine plastics debate. Industry experts recognize there is a lot of confusion around these terms and how they relate to end-of-life management for plastics.

When talking about marine litter, oftentimes there are references to bio-based packaging, which actually has no impact on marine litter, since bio-based packaging refers to sourcing considerations for plastics and not their end-of-life. So when bio-based plastics are posed as a "solution" to plastic pollution, this is distracting from the end-of-life conversation. While some bio-based plastics are compostable, some are not, and these should be understood as separate concepts.

It is also common to hear about "biodegradable" packaging, which, while it sounds attractive to the general public, adds to the confusion on this topic. To impact marine litter, products must be biodegradable in certain conditions in the marine environment over a certain period of time. There is no marine degradability standard applicable to all conditions in which plastic would end up in marine environments. ASTM came out with standard D6691 that tests biodegradation of plastics under certain conditions, but recognizes there is significant variability in the nature of exposure of plastics in marine environments. Society at large should tread carefully on these claims and avoid popularizing the idea of "litter friendly" packaging.

Broad strategies are being discussed to address end-of-life management for plastics. Bans on certain single-use plastics have been prominent this year around the world. For example, we saw Chile and Burundi ban plastic bags, India promise to ban single-use plastics by 2022, Dominica to ban single-use plastics and expanded polystyrene by 2019 and, just this month (November 2018), the European Union (EU) promised to ban single-use cutlery, cotton swabs, straws and stirrers by 2021, as well as products made of oxo-degradable plastics and fast-food containers made of expanded polystyrene.

These bans have focused on some of the most common ocean-polluting plastics. However, many in industry believe we should not expect to ban our way to the circular economy. Broader strategies are needed that reflect material and regional differences, as well as opportunities in plastics packaging.

The proposed EU plastics policy provides for other strategies, such as national plans to encourage reuse, minimum required recycled content, separate collection systems for specific products like PET bottles, variable fees to reflect broader package sustainability criteria and labeling for how to dispose of certain products. An explosion of voluntary commitments-like the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, a U.K. and Chilean Plastics Pact, G7 Ocean Plastics Charter, Commitments from Plastics Europe, the Canadian Plastics Industry Assn. and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) Plastics division-commit to increasing recyclability, reusability and use of recycled content. There is also an ever growing list of individual corporate commitments, including the first commitments by suppliers like Amcor and Klöckner Pentaplast. Emphasis is being placed on a diversity of solutions and from many different players.

Many perceive recycling as the solution, but fixing recycling is not enough. In ideal economic circumstances, market forces would keep all plastics from going into the ocean and direct them towards recycling and then onto a second life. However, this is obviously not how things play out in the real world. Even in Europe, considered to be a leader in recycling, plastic packaging recycling across plastics types is still only around 40% according to Plastics Europe, which is robust compared to the U.S.'s 14.6% recycling rate for plastic packaging.

Although not a lot of plastics today are getting effectively recycled, the recent 2018 Sustainable Packaging Study conducted by Packaging Digest and the SPC revealed that many still perceive recycling as the answer to plastic pollution. So, if recycling is the answer, why aren't we doing more of it?

Recycling is not a perfect market since the value of some kinds of plastic packaging is lower than the cost to recover it. In addition, the actual process of mechanical recycling itself cannot adequately manage the diversity of plastic packaging materials on the market since some materials and formats are not widely recyclable today. While chemical recycling offers tremendous promise, there is a long way to go before this technology is scaled across packaging types. While low recycling rates for plastics are certainly part of the problem, conversations in industry are starting to acknowledge that fixing recycling is not the whole solution. We will not recycle our way out of this.

We need innovation and investment to help develop the system of the future. Many conversations are happening on the ground in communities about the good old days when recycling was just corrugated packaging and metal cans. While some unnecessary complexity can be addressed through market and policy incentives,we can't go back in time. The world is moving towards more lightweight, flexible packaging.

At the same time, the recycling market has shown itself to be in need of investments and corrective measures to direct material efficiently. Innovators like Renewlogy, DEMETO and Loop Industries are working to scale innovations in chemical recycling and the SPC's FlexPack Recovery Challenge seeks to find others. Investment firms like Circulate Capital are providing the critical capital needed to invest in end-of-life infrastructure where it is most needed globally.

The plastics pollution debate will undoubtedly continue to unfold and drive an evolving conversation in the coming years, especially as new data is emerging on microplastics found in everything from drinking water to beer to air, which may move the conversation beyond packaging to textiles and other topics.

Many conversations and actions have taken place this year to build a roadmap to effective solutions. It is clear there is no silver bullet, but rather many solutions are required, and these might all look different in different places.
Tristanne Davis joined GreenBlue in November 2017 as a project manager with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC). Her primary work involves helping to shape and deliver on its Industry Leadership Committee initiatives, ASTRX project and Forest Products work. Davis received her BA in economics from Skidmore College followed by several years of environmental consulting for a variety of clients across business and government, and a stint in Nicaragua managing an agroforestry program with a local non-governmental organization (NGO). She recently finished a Master's program in industrial ecology at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and an MBA program at IE Business School in Spain. ******************************************************************************** In addition to leading suppliers showing the latest solutions in labeling, automation, food packaging, package design and more-WestPack 2019 (Feb. 5-7; Anaheim, CA) gives you access to the industry's leading educational offerings with the 3D Printing and Smart Manufacturing Innovations Summits, the MD&M Medtech Conference and free industry education at the Expo. Register to attend today!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A sea of voices: Trends and perspectives in marine plastic pollution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A key theme in this year's conversations on sustainable packaging has been what to do about the (mostly) plastic packaging that ends up as marine litter. This year has seen a deluge of responses to the public outcry around this very visible and emotionally provocative issue.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.oceanicsociety.org/resources/7-ways-to-reduce-ocean-plastic-pollution-today/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats to ocean health worldwide. But, there are many solutions to plastic pollution that you can participate in today. This article covers some of the basic facts about ocean plastic pollution and provides several specific plastic pollution solutions that everyone can take part in.

The Ocean Plastic Pollution Problem

With skyrocketing plastic production, low levels of recycling, and poor waste management, between 4 and 12 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year-enough to cover every foot of coastline on the planet! And that amount is projected to triple in the next 20 years. Let that sink in for a moment.

In the ocean, plastic pollution impacts sea turtles, whales, seabirds, fish, coral reefs, and countless other marine species and habitats. In fact, scientists estimate that more than half of the world's sea turtles and nearly every seabird on Earth have eaten plastic in their lifetimes. Plastic pollution also mars otherwise beautiful beaches, coastlines, and snorkel and dive sites worldwide, even in remote areas such as Midway Atoll.

One of the reasons that plastic pollution is such a problem is that it doesn't go away: "plastics are forever." Instead, plastic debris simply breaks down into ever-smaller particles, known as microplastics, whose environmental impacts are still being determined.

Plastic Pollution Solutions: 7 Things You Can Do Today

Everyone can do something to help solve the plastic pollution problem, and millions of people worldwide are already taking action to reduce their plastic use. Here are seven ways you can make a difference, starting today.

1. Reduce Your Use of Single-Use Plastics

Wherever you live, the easiest and most direct way that you can get started is by reducing your own use of single-use plastics. Single-use plastics include plastic bags, water bottles, straws, cups, utensils, dry cleaning bags, take-out containers, and any other plastic items that are used once and then discarded.

The best way to do this is by a) refusing any single-use plastics that you do not need (e.g. 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. And when you refuse single-use plastic items, help businesses by letting them know that you would like them to offer alternatives.

2. Support Legislation to Curb Plastic Production and Waste

As important as it is to change our individual behaviors, such changes alone are insufficient to stop ocean plastic pollution. We also need legislation that reduces plastic production, improves waste management, and makes plastic producers responsible for the waste they generate. There are a variety of ways that you can support local, national, and international legislation that provide critical solutions to reduce plastic pollution. One such effort in the United States is the 2021 Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, a comprehensive federal bill that aims to address the plastic pollution crisis, and there are a number of state level initiatives to introduce extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation that makes plastic producers and distributors responsible for their products and packaging at the end of life.

At the international level, hundreds of organizations and businesses successfully worked together with United Nations member states to enact a global plastics treaty, signed by 175 member states, that will set global rules and regulations to reduce plastic pollution. And legislation that limits, taxes, or bans unnecessary single use plastic items, such as plastic bags, takeout containers, and bottles, has been successfully enacted in many places globally, and you can support the adoption of such policies in your community too. Here is a comprehensive resource and toolkit on legislative approaches to limiting plastic bags, foodware, microplastics, and more.

3. Recycle Properly

This should go without saying, but when you use single-use (and other) plastics that can be recycled, always be sure to recycle them. At present, just 9% of plastic is recycled worldwide. Recycling helps keep plastics out of the ocean and reduces the amount of "new" plastic in circulation. If you need help finding a place to recycle plastic waste near you, check Earth911's recycling directory. It's also important to check with your local recycling center about the types of plastic they accept.

4. Participate In (or Organize) a Beach or River Cleanup

Help remove plastics from the ocean and prevent them from getting there in the first place by participating in, or organizing a cleanup of your local beach or waterway. This is one of the most direct and rewarding ways to fight ocean plastic pollution. You can simply go to the beach or waterway and collect plastic waste on your own or with friends or family, or you can join a local organization's cleanup or an international event like our Global Ocean Cleanup or the International Coastal Cleanup.

Take Our 7-Day Fight Plastic Waste Challenge

Join the global movement to fight plastic waste with our 7-day challenge. With just a few minutes a day, you'll be on your way to reducing ocean plastic pollution from home.
Take the Challenge

5. Avoid Products Containing Microbeads

Tiny plastic particles, called " microbeads," have become a growing source of ocean plastic pollution in recent years. Microbeads are found in some face scrubs, toothpastes, and bodywashes, and they readily enter our oceans and waterways through our sewer systems, and affect hundreds of marine species. Avoid products containing plastic microbeads by looking for "polythelene" and "polypropylene" on the ingredient labels of your cosmetic products (find a list of products containing microbeads here).

6. Spread the Word

Stay informed on issues related to plastic pollution and help make others aware of the problem. Tell your friends and family about how they can be part of the solution, or host a viewing party for one of the many plastic pollution focused documentaries, like A Plastic Ocean, Garbage Island: An Ocean Full of Plastic, Bag It, Addicted to Plastic, Plasticized, or Garbage Island.

7. Support Organizations Addressing Plastic Pollution

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. These organizations rely on donations from people like you to continue their important work. Even small donations can make a big difference!

These seven ideas only scratch the surface for ways you can help address the growing problem of plastic pollution in the oceans. The important thing is that we all do something, no matter how small. For more ideas and resources, sign up to join our Blue Habits community of people worldwide committed to joyful daily actions that improve ocean health.

Reduce Plastic Pollution From Home with Our 7-Day Challenge

Join the global movement to fight plastic waste by participating in our 7-day challenge.
Take the Challenge

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Ways to Reduce Ocean Plastic Pollution Today

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats to ocean health worldwide. But, there are many solutions to plastic pollution that you can participate in

# data[].attributes.body
In the ocean, plastic debris injures and kills fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Marine plastic pollution has impacted at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sign Up

Receive our best conservation research bi-weekly-stunning photos, wins, and action alerts.

Sign Up

Exclusive state-policy research, infographics, and stats every two weeks.

Sign Up

Receive our best conservation research bi-weekly-stunning photos, wins, and action alerts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Plastic Pollution Affects Sea Life Throughout the Ocean

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our ocean and the array of species that call it home are succumbing to the poison of plastic. Examples abound, from the gray whale that died after stranding near Seattle in 2010 with more than 20 plastic bags, a golf ball, and other rubbish in its stomach to the harbor seal pup found dead on the Scottish island of Skye, its intestines fouled by a small piece of plastic wrapper.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.hilltopviewsonline.com/25250/news/organizations-respond-to-increase-in-plastic-pollution-on-campus/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Over 129 billion personal protective equipment (PPE) masks are made every month and half end up in the ocean. Some common items polluting the ocean are plastic bottles, grocery bags, and, now, PPE masks, causing a rapid increase in plastic pollution.

It's been almost two years since the initial COVID-19 outbreak and some are still trying to protect themselves from the virus by wearing a PPE mask. After it has been used, some improperly dispose of the mask, and masks are often seen littering the ground. This waste eventually ends up in the oceans, affecting wildlife and spreading toxins.

"S ince marine debris is completely caused by people, that also means that we have the ultimate power and responsibility to be the solution," Shanelle Naone, a Pacific Islands Region Communications and Outreach Coordinator of NOAA Marine Debris Program , said.

Before the pandemic began, plastic pollution was harming the ocean and threatening wildlife. This ongoing problem is causing an increase in sea animals consuming plastic as food. For instance, a sea turtle will mistake a facemask, which is often made with polypropylene plastic, (which is used in a wide variety of applications like plastic packaging, plastic parts for machinery, fibers, and more) for a jellyfish.

"Marine debris does pose many risks to animals," Naone said. "Many marine debris items can impact wildlife through . When an animal swallows debris, it can block its stomach, puncture the inside of their bodies with sharp edges, and even create a false sense of being full. This can make the animal ill or cause it to starve."

This can lead to digestive issues or even death, and contaminated microplastics could expose organisms to high concentrations of toxins. If action isn't taken now, negative consequences for wildlife will become irreversible and according to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050.

In 2020, an estimated 1.56 million PPE masks entered the ocean. Every day the numbers keep growing and if left untreated, it will take one mask about 450 years for it to decompose in nature, continuing to kill wildlife and hurting humans in the long run.
Students for Sustainability pollution combat on campus
Organizations, community clubs, and environmental activists are aware of marine debris and how it affects climate change. They are making positive environmental changes to reduce the numbers to make a global impact. At St. Edward's University, Students for Sustainability (SFS) is one of the largest organizations on campus and the leading voice on sustainability. It is a chartered organization entirely student-run and is dedicated to advocating for a more sustainable campus.

When the university mandated PPE masks indoors, more facemasks were spotted laying around campus grounds. On March 7, the university made it optional to wear a mask indoors.

"We've seen an increase in disposable masks around campus," Ethan Tobias, SFS President and Sustainability Intern, said.

SFS is finding solutions by increasing the number of trash-pick-up events both on campus and at Blunn Creek, where the rain-washed waste and plastic pollution ends up-doing this will help combat the issue.

"We try to host as many events as possible that deal with sustainability and environmentalism," Tobias said. To attack the root of the problem we are actively advocating for a switch from single-use plastic to either compostable options or more circular products. Just recently, we have been able to convince Bon Appétit (the company that manages on-campus dining) to switch from plastic bags to compostable ones."

SFS is encouraging their community to help with monthly trash pick-up events and recycle plastic waste in disposal trash cans around campus. They also suggest wearing eco-friendly masks and recommend to others who wear PPE masks to cut the straps of face masks' ear loops before throwing them away in the garbage.
Student affects
SFS is promoting its activism around campus and through social media, but how many students are shocked that PPE masks are causing an increase in plastic pollution?

"It doesn't shock me," senior Sarah Fitzgibbons said. "I feel like in times of intense crisis, things we usually consider high priorities tend to be shelved. Like if I'm concerned about my imminent safety, I care less about my impact on the environment. I'm not saying I don't care about the environment, but it's human nature to prioritize yourself."

The majority of students have seen an increase in PPE masks disposal on-campus grounds. Half expressed feeling bothered and knowing the long-term effects it has on the environment. The others expressed their concerns about not knowing how to help the situation because they don't want to risk being affected by picking up one.

"I've noticed PPE masks lying on the ground just about everywhere I go," senior Courtney Davila said. "I do find it gross and quite annoying. Littering has always made me uneasy, not only does it make our environment look trashy, but it also causes hurt to our environment and the creatures in it."
Texas statewide mask mandates
On March 4, Austin-Travis County moved to stage 2 of risk-based guidelines, and on March 7, St. Edward's University updated its COVID-19 guidelines by making PPE masks optional to wear.

"Please be considerate of campus community members who may still choose to wear face coverings or may not be comfortable around others who are not wearing face coverings. Individuals may not independently require face coverings for campus events, gatherings, or courses," a on the university's website said.

It's been over a month since the mandate was lifted and half the population is still choosing to wear a mask.

The pandemic causes an increase in plastic pollution by affecting the oceans, wildlife, and spreading toxins. People need to know how to pivot to sustainability, responsibly dispose of their waste and recycle because these actions are only half the battle in reducing plastic pollution and saving the environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Organizations respond to increase in plastic pollution on campus

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Over 129 billion personal protective equipment (PPE) masks are made every month and half end up in the ocean. Some common items polluting the ocean are plastic bottles, grocery bags, and, now, PPE masks, causing a rapid increase in plastic pollution. It's been almost two years since the initial COVID-19 outbreak and some are still...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

Department of Ecology and Animal Biology, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain

Institut Français de Recherche pour l' Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Brest, France

Department of Environment, Earth and Physical Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

Centro Tecnológico Experto en Innovación Marina y Alimentaria (AZTI), Pasaia, Spain

Introduction: Motivation and Subtopics

Marine litter is a global environmental concern. Between 61% and 87% of this litter is plastics ( Barboza et al., 2019; Tekman et al., 2019). In 2010 alone, the amount of plastics entering the oceans varied between 4.8 million and 12.7 million metric tons ( Jambeck et al., 2015), contributing to an estimated total abundance of at least 5 trillion particles ( Eriksen et al., 2014). In 2017, 348 million tons of plastics were produced globally ( PlasticsEurope, 2018) and in the next two decades, the amount of plastics produced is expected to double ( Geyer et al., 2017).

Continental plastic litter enters the ocean largely through storm-water runoff, is dumped on shorelines during recreational activities or directly discharged at sea from ships ( Walker et al., 2019). The deep-sea floor is probably the final global sink for most marine litter that is not decomposed or fractionated to the nanosize ( Angiolillo, 2019). However, long-term data are scarce and do not show any clear or significant trend with regards to variations in debris quantities ( Maes et al., 2018). In many coastal countries, mismanagement of solid waste has caused between 1.7% and 4.6% of the total plastic waste generated to end up in the sea ( Hoornweg and Bhada-Tata, 2012; Jambeck et al., 2015). Despite initiatives to monitor and reduce marine litter, such as from United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the G20, and G7, the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive ( European Commission, 2008) and action plans from the Regional Seas Conventions (e.g., OSPAR Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter; UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention Regional Plan on Marine Litter Management in the Mediterranean), harm is still far from being understood. Moreover, standardization, and harmonization of sampling techniques, result units and metrics is needed to achieve reliable monitoring and assessment, and threshold values of good/not good status are still at an incipient stage, since ecotoxicological information on the effects of the smaller fractions of plastic litter, microplastics and nanoplastics, in the environment and on aquatic organisms is scarce ( Gall and Thompson, 2015; De Sá et al., 2018; Ogonowski et al., 2018).

The coastal landscape is frequently impacted by marine litter that impairs recreational uses and causes a loss of touristic value. Beyond the aesthetic impact, marine litter also bears potential economic implications to maritime activities, such as fisheries and the aquaculture sectors ( UNEP, 2014). It may also affect the marine environment and the different ecosystem components ( Gall and Thompson, 2015; Rochman et al., 2016; Galloway et al., 2017; Barboza et al., 2019). First, solid particles are ingested by fauna; whereas most of the litter will be excreted, some particles may remain in the stomach undigested, including seafood ( Rochman et al., 2015). Large differences among taxa, resulting from differences in size and feeding habits, have been described ( Kühn et al., 2015; Bour et al., 2018; Fossi et al., 2018). Many studies have focused on selected species such as seabirds or sea turtles which have even been proposed as bioindicators of oceanic plastic pollution ( Bonanno and Orlando-Bonaca, 2018; Fossi et al., 2018) because they feed exclusively at sea, they show a non-selective surface foraging, and in certain populations most individuals present plastic debris in their stomachs ( Wilcox et al., 2015; Domènech et al., 2019). Second, plastic litter can represent a relevant source of chemical additives, some of them with suspected endocrine disrupting action, that easily leach into the water since they are not bound to the polymeric chains and become available to the estuarine and marine fauna ( Hermabessiere et al., 2017). Third, intentionally or accidentally discarded fishing gears pose special risks for large, air-breathing marine animals, including endangered species, which get entangled in the nets ( Lusher et al., 2018). Conventional plastics are non-biodegradable and they may persist in the environment for hundreds of years but also because of hydrodynamics and exposure to light, they may fragment into small particles readily taken up by marine organisms. Microplastics and nanoplastics are of particular concern: ingested by even the smallest zooplankton species they can transfer hydrophobic pollutants (and plastic additives) into the trophic webs, although thermodynamic models and experimental data provide conflicting results and more research is needed in this field ( Beiras et al., 2018; Burns and Boxall, 2018; Ogonowski et al., 2018). Finally, plastic at sea may transport alien species over long distances or act as substratum for vagile and epistratum benthos, providing a support to colonization ( Casabianca et al., 2019).

This Research Topic includes, as yet, 13 papers covering broad oceanic aspects of litter: development of methods, distribution in different species and marine areas, ingestion of plastic, toxicity of plastic associated chemicals, and policies dedicated to reduction measures of marine litter. The impacts related to marine litter have been evaluated from ecological, ecotoxicological, economic and social perspectives, identifying four major subtopics for the papers featured:

1. Sources of marine litter and environmental distribution and sinks: surveys in water, sediments, coast and biota

2. Experimental approaches

3. Impacts on marine organisms: macro-, meio-, and micro-fauna related to plastics and plastics' associated contaminants

4. Regulations.

Summary of the Papers

In this Research Topic, studies considering sources and distributions of marine litter (subtopic 1) span over awide geographic area and different environmental compartments, presenting results from surveys in water, beaches, sediments and biota.

Interactions between species and litter were reviewed for the South East Pacific, indicating the importance of entanglement, microplastic ingestion and the higher sensitivity of sea turtles to marine litter ( Thiel et al.). In the North Atlantic, a much higher occurrence of microplastic fragments than previously reported was found in the gut contents of mesopelagic fishes ( Wieczorek et al.). Regional surveys suggest that land-based inputs of plastics are to be reconducted to different levels of coastal anthropogenic pressure and population growth. In the Red Sea, low plastic waste was found in surface waters suggesting reduced land-based inputs from the coastal environment ( Martí et al.). In Brazil, the nature and predominance of beach litter were directly related to beach users, with less urbanized beaches showing smaller quantities of anthropogenic litter ( Araújo et al.). In an urban estuary in Tasmania, the type, distribution and abundance of microplastics observed closely matched data on increasing plastic production, coastal population growth, and proximity to urban water outflows ( Willis et al.). Some of the studies highlighted the importance of fibers as part of microplastics with evidence of their non-anthropic origin ( Martí et al.; Willis et al.; Wieczorek et al.), but also indicated the need of a careful assessment of the amount of fibers in environmental samples that could be biased by atmospheric contamination while conducting the laboratory analysis ( Willis et al.).

Methods were also addressed (subtopic 2) with a review on constraints and priorities for conducting experimental exposures of marine wildlife to microplastics ( Paul-Pont et al.).

Impacts of marine litter and marine plastics can be varied and concurrent, arising from entanglement, ingestion, and leaching of plastic-associated contaminants and additives (subtopic 3). In marine fauna, negative effects of marine litter are documented on over 1,400 species and depend on a multiplicity of co-factors that need to be considered when developing management plans for the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity ( Fossi et al.). Five studies describe the release of chemicals and their ecotoxicological effects on marine biota (subtopic 3), including two bivalve species ( O'Donovan et al.; Pittura et al.), one crustacean ( Thaysen et al.), one annelid species ( Gomiero et al.), seabirds and cetaceans ( Fossi et al.), indicating that plastics as vectors for organic pollutants may add up to other environmental and anthropic stressors and potentially alter survival rate and reproductive success. Clearly, action modes and toxicological pathways, also considering transcriptional activity, differ according to pollutants. In one freshwater species, significant adverse effects of leachates from expanded polystyrene were detected ( Thaysen et al.).

In terms of management (subtopic 4), the role of regulation, public perception and social license to operate in managing waste that enters the ocean were discussed ( Vince and Hardesty). More specific case studies on paraffins were also reviewed in the framework of environmental policies, suggesting for regulatory measures ( Suaria et al.).

Knowledge Gaps Filled, Perspectives and Conclusions

Overall, this Research Topic provides a panel of various aspects of the impacts of marine litter and plastics, and will largely support more research toward a better understanding of any harm caused by any material at all levels of biological organization. Through this platform, this Research Topic also encourages a discussion forum to better understand all potential effects caused by marine litter, both to marine organisms as well as to the whole marine/estuarine environment and communities, and to propose new strategies of intervention, for prevention, mitigation, and monitoring.

Several gaps still need to be covered, from the harmonization of methodological approaches to study marine litter in different environmental compartments (i.e., sea surface, sea floor, water column) to the evaluation of the effects on biota. Moreover, the impact of marine litter and, in particular, microplastics and nanoplastics, on human health is still largely debated and a more focused research needs to be carried out to properly address this issue.

Models on plastic distribution and transfer in all marine compartments are needed to provide reliable estimates of marine fluxes from land to sea. These efforts should be strongly encouraged to better drive globally agreed prevention and mitigation strategies to be adopted and harmonized across countries.

Contribution to the Field

Marine litter is an urgent environmental threat comprising primarily plastic debris. Yet, the global production of plastic is expected to double over the next decades, with envisaged severe impacts across ecosystems and societies. This editorial introduces to the Research Topic "Impacts of Marine Litter", aiming at a better understanding of marine litter impacts from the ecological, ecotoxicological, economic, and social point of view. This Research Topic also aims at proposing new strategies for the prevention, mitigation and monitoring of marine litter. With its 13 published papers, the Research Topic provides new information on the environmental distribution (including sources and sinks) of marine litter across the globe, as well as on the impacts of plastics' associated contaminants to marine micro and macro fauna. It also highlights constraints and priorities for conducting exposure experiments of marine wildlife to plastics, discusses regulation and policy measures for land waste management and litter disposal at sea, and identifies remaining knowledge gaps which should be the focus of future interdisciplinary research and policy interventions.

Author Contributions

All authors listed have made a substantial, direct and intellectual contribution to the work, and approved it for publication.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

We thank all authors, reviewers, and editors that have contributed to this Research Topic.

References

Barboza, L. G. A., Cózar, A., Gimenez, B. C. G., Barros, T. L., Kershaw, P. J., and Guilhermino, L. (2019). "Macroplastics pollution in the marine environment," in World Seas: an Environmental Evaluation, 2nd Edn eds, C. Sheppard. (Cambridge, MA: Academic Press), 305-328.
Google Scholar
European Commission (2008). Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council Establishing a Framework for Community Action in the Field of Marine Environmental Policy (Brussels: Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Official Journal of the European Union).

Kühn, S., Rebolledo, E. L. B., and Van Franeker, J. A. (2015). "Deleterious effects of litter on marine life." in Marine Anthropogenic Litter, eds. M. Bergmann, L. Gutow, and M. Klages (New York, NY: Springer International Publishing), 75-116.
Google Scholar
PlasticsEurope (2018). "Plastics - the facts 2018. An analysis of European plastics production, demand and waste data" in Association of Plastics Manufacturers and EPRO (Brussels: European Association of Plastics Recycling & Recovery Organisations, Association of Plastic Manufacturers and European Association of Plastics Recycling and Recovery Organizations), 18.

Tekman, M. B., Gutow, L., Macario, A., Haas, A., Walter, A., and Bergmann, M. (2019). Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung. Available online at: https://litterbase.awi.de/litter_detail (accessed February 20, 2019).

UNEP (2014). Valuing Plastics: The Business Case for Measuring, Managing and Disclosing Plastic Use in the Consumer Goods Industry. Nairobi: U.N.E. Program.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
1. Introduction: motivation and subtopicsMarine litter is a global environmental concern. Between 61% and 87% of this litter is plastics (Barboza et al., 2019; Tekman, 2019). In 2010 alone, the amount of plastics entering the oceans varied between 4.8 million and 12.7 million metric tons (Jambeck et al., 2015), contributing to an estimated total abundance of at least 5 trillion particles (Eriksen et al., 2014).