Plastic Empire – Plastic Oceans: Part 3, The Toll It Takes

How does plastic in the ocean affect the marine environment and us?

Plastic photo-degrades rather than bio-degrades, meaning it only breaks down into smaller particles called “microplastics”. Most plastic in the ocean comes in this form.

As it breaks down, there are often leftover chemicals from manufacturing and, due to it being hydrophobic (like oil, it repels water), it acts like a sponge for other hydrophobic substances, such as the pesticide DDT and polychlorinated biphenlys.

Microplastics, with their toxic passengers, are ingested by small marine animals, which in turn are ingested by larger animals and so on. This gradually works up through the food chain, and eventually reaches us. Bad for us, bad for marine animals, and bad for the environment!

Source: Mathew Cole, University of Exeter. This image shows a zooplankton with glowing green polystyrene beads inside the stomach.

“The potential for devastating biological consequences for every species on the planet is growing with every discarded bottle and bag” – Dr Joseph Mercola.

Plastic pollution affects all marine life directly or indirectly, but throughout this cycle the animals that are most susceptible are sea birds and filter feeders that focus their feeding activities on the upper portion of the water column.

Source: David M Lawrence of the Sea Education Association. Scientists found 47 pieces of plastic in the stomach of this triggerfish. It had been caught near the surface in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre.

Killer plastic

Approximately 300,000 animals die annually either from ingested plastic or becoming tangled in plastic debris. This includes everything from fish, birds, turtles, dolphins, whales and everything in between. Globally, 82 of 144 bird species tested contained small plastic debris in their stomachs. In many species, the incidence of ingestion exceeds 80% of the individuals.

According to a report by the United Nations conducted in 2009, there were 46,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometre of the world’s oceans. We can only imagine what this figure is now!

In 2011, an estimate of worldwide plastics production was 280 million tonnes. The five largest types (polyolefins, PVC, PS, EPS and PET) account for about 70% of the total global demand, i.e. 200 million tonnes.

In summary:

Plastics contain toxic chemicals left over from the manufacturing process.
It attracts and absorbs other toxins, such as DDT and polychlorinated biphenlys.
In the ocean, plastic breaks down to microscopic pieces and is ingested by plankton.
Once ingested, the toxins are stored in the body’s tissues, where they continuously leech toxins, poisoning the consumer.
The microscopic particles make their way up through the food chain to us.
The toxins in plastics are directly linked to cancers, birth defects, immune system problems, and childhood developmental issues in humans.
All types of marine animals, including fish, turtles, whales and marine birds, mistake larger pieces of plastic for food.
Once eaten, these indigestible pieces can damage internal organs and clog up an animal’s digestive system causing death by starvation.

Source: Claire Fackler, NOAA. This albatross has a stomach full of plastic.

Growth of plastic consumption

Between 2010 and 2016, global plastics consumption was expected to grow by an average of about 4% each year. Approximately 4 to 12 million metric tonnes of plastic washed offshore in 2010. This is about 1.5% – 4.5% of the world’s total production. This is enough to cover every foot of coastline on the planet. It was predicted that the annual amount of plastic waste tumbling out to sea would more than double in the following 10 years.

Littering is a huge problem all around the world. However, those people that don’t “litter” as such (they dispose of their trash responsibly) often don’t think about where it actually goes. Most likely it will end up in a landfill and, possibly, in the ocean eventually.

It is believed that 97% of all plastic that has ever been created is still here on Earth! To think that the bottle you drank from for two minutes will still be around in one form when your great, great, great grandchildren are alive! The remaining 3% is incinerated, causing other environmental problems by releasing carbon monoxide, dioxins and furans into the atmosphere (carbon monoxide is a well-known poison; dioxins and furans have been linked to cancer and respiratory disease).

In summary:

2009: 46,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometre of ocean.
2010: 4-12 million tonnes of plastic estimated to have washed offshore, 1.5% – 4.5% of the world’s plastic production.
2011: 280 million tonnes of plastic is produced, 70% of which is used for items such as bottles.

Cleaning up

There are some cleanup projects underway. Research is being carried out on various other methods of cleaning up the plastics in the ocean on both a local and global scale. The problem is that once it has broken down to microplastic size, it is almost impossible to take it out of the ocean.

It is unrealistic to think that we can live in a world without plastic, as we rely on it too much. Let’s be honest, plastic is fantastic! It is cheap, malleable and virtually indestructible. This is what makes it so good and so bad! We need it, but we need to use it more intelligently.

What is important is that we cut down on our single-use lifestyle and take a moment to stop and think. Each time you have the choice of having a straw, using a bag, choosing a soft drink – think! Do you really need it or is there another alternative? Is your convenience worth the damage that it will most likely eventually do?

What might that damage be? The death of an innocent animal; somebody getting ill when it makes its way up the food chain; or will your great-grandkids be cleaning it up 30 to 40 years down the line.

For now, our mission is to help reduce the amount of single-use plastic going into the ocean. For this, we need everyone to help.

80% of plastic that enters the ocean comes from land, through rivers, sewers and drains. Much of this comes from mismanaged landfills. So, even if you are responsible with your litter, remember these words from a world-renowned naturalist:

“There is no away – because plastic is so permanent and so indestructible. When you cast it into the ocean, there is no away” – Sir David Attenborough

Check out our website staging.orcanation.org and feel free contact us for more tips on how to reduce your plastic use and where to buy alternatives to single-use plastics.

You can also visit this great website about how to reduce your plastic use www.lessplastic.co.uk