The seas in all parts of the world are littered with man-made debris, most of it plastics, which are practically indestructible. Occasionally the litter is derived from onshore sources, such as waste tips on the coast, but most comes from shipping and high concentrations of plastic debris are found near busy shipping lanes and fishing areas. About 2kg per person per day is generated on ships and for a cruise liner and the amount of garbage to be disposed of can easily overwhelm the facilities of the ports it visits.
Most of the litter at sea or on the coast is primary or secondary packaging, commonly plastic bags, cups and bottles, tampon applicators, and pieces of polystyrene. Plastics are inert to marine organisms and while floating at sea may acquire a fauna of encrusting organisms such as algae, barnacles, hydroids, and tunicates. Larger animals ingest plastic objects: large fish and about 59% of beach turtles have been found with plastic cups and other objects lodged in their digestive tract amongst many other animals. This is just not acceptable.
Small particles of polyethylene, polypropylene, and sometimes polystyrene 3-4mm in diameter are widespread in all oceans. These small particles include weathered fragments of larger plastic articles, but a large proportion of plastic pellets which are 'feedstock' to the plastics industry. These particles have been found in the stomachs of flying squid, turtles and other animals.
So, what do we do about this? The need to reduce the manufacturing of plastic to other forms of biodegradable material is essential for a start. Cities need to put in place strong policies that reduce the amount of plastic used and I am extremely excited that the city of Fremantle has become the first local government in Western Australia to ban retailers from issuing single-use non-biodegradable plastic bags.
The Plastic Bag Reduction Local Law 2012, which was adopted by council this week will not only reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, but will also limit the risk of harmful non-biodegradable plastic bags making their way into the local marine environment.
I will be working on this for the next semester of my internship and I am extremely excited to be a part of this wonderful project. I will keep you posted on it's progress as I am sure this will be a very successful one indeed.
Read more from our very own Fremantle Mayor Dr Brad Pettitt:
http://cofremantle.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/fremantle-plastic-bag-reduction-law-passed/
Watch this documentary, "Garbage Island: An Ocean Full of Plastic (Part 1/3)" , where a team take a trip on the ocean to
spot where currents spin and cycle, churning up tons of plastic into a giant pool of chemical soup, flecked with bits and whole chunks of refuse that cannot biodegrade.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D41rO7mL6zM
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