The devastating impact on wildlife paints a terrifying picture of death and injury to many of our birds and marine life. Scientists are particularly concerned about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - the largest accumulation of plastic in the world, that covers an area of 1.6 million square kilometres.
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The mass of waste stretches from the east, between Hawaii and California, to the west, extending between Japan and the Hawaiian Islands. Scientists say many people don't realise how serious the situation is, because the waste is primarily small pieces of plastic known as microplastics, some only the size of a fingernail.
Made up of fragments of everyday items such as toothbrushes, plastic lighters, water bottles, mobile phones, pens, plastic bags, baby bottles and more; researchers from The Ocean Cleanup project say the patch has been accumulating since 1945 and it has increased ten-fold each decade.
Which animals are affected by plastic pollution?
Pollution is causing environmental damage to the marine ecosystems and species. Around 100 million creatures including fish, mammals and sea birds die each year as a result of plastic pollution. Most severely affected, not surprisingly, is fish, especially in the North Pacific.
Scientists estimate fish ingest 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic every year. This commonly causes intestinal injury and death. The plastic microfibres eaten by the fish transfer up the food chain to larger fish, marine mammals and ultimately to food eaten by people.
A recent study revealed 25% of fish tested at seafood markets contained plastic in their guts. Since 1970, the world's tuna population has declined by 74% due to plastic ingestion and one in four species of shark is threatened with extinction, according to figures released in 2020.
If we carry on dumping plastics in the sea, the ocean will contain more pieces of plastic than fish by 2050. An estimated 99% of seabirds having already eaten plastic, according to statistics reported by the United Nations Ocean Conference.
Sea turtles also mistake floating plastic for food. This can cause them to choke, suffer other internal injuries and consequently die. They can also starve, as they think they are full due to the amount of plastic they have ingested and can't eat any actual food. Research suggests around 50% of sea turtles have eaten plastic. In addition, there's so much plastic waste on a number of beaches that it is adversely affecting their reproduction cycle.
Marine mammals
Marine mammals are also being injured and killed as a result of ingesting plastic and getting tangled up in waste. One species impacted is the critically-endangered Hawaiian monk seal. There are only 1,400 left in the wild, including 1,100 on the north-western Hawaiian Islands and 300 on the main islands.
Plastic pollution is affecting areas where the pup nurseries are located, as the young seals have become entangled in plastic debris that is causing injuries. Around 36% of seals have been injured or killed by plastic pollution.
Another endangered species, the Steller sea lion has suffered injury and death due to entanglement in plastic debris. The population has declined from 45,000 to 39,000 since 2000 throughout its main locations in Alaska, Japan and the Bering Sea in Russia. Plastic packing bands are the most common cause of injury.
Whales have also been found deceased, their stomachs full of pieces of plastic. Around 59% are believed to have been affected by plastic debris. Of those taken back to laboratories to establish the cause of death, one brought into the lab by marine mammal expert Darrell Blatchley, of Davao City in the Philippines, was found to have ingested a shocking 88 lbs of plastic waste. It was described as having plastic "bursting out" of its stomach.
Sea birds
More than one million sea birds died last year from the effects of plastic waste, according to the Plastic in the Ocean Statistics 2020. After eating plastic, the capacity of their stomach is reduced, thus causing starvation.
Scientists estimate 60% of all sea birds have eaten plastic. The fatalities reflect the rate at which the amount of plastic in our oceans has increased over the past 40 years. A staggering 700 species of marine animals are believed to be in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future due to plastic pollution, according to the 2020 study.
What are the common types of plastic found outdoors?
The most common types of single-use plastic waste found discarded outdoors are straws, bags and bottles. In the UK alone, an estimated 42 billion straws are bought each year, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In addition, across the EU, 82 thousand tonnes of plastic straws are used annually. At least 8.3 billion straws end up in the sea every year, according to research published by National Geographic.
Campaigns spearheaded by environmental groups such as the WWF are calling for companies and individuals to stop using plastic straws, as they are something most people can do without. However, some disabled people need to use straws for drinking - a fact recognised by companies such as McDonald's, who replaced plastic straws with paper ones at its fast-food outlets in 2018.
McDonald's alone uses an estimated 4.4 billion straws every year. However, it has switched to paper alternatives as a result of fears they are adding to the world's plastic waste. Ironically, the plastic straws used by McDonald's were recyclable, but the company feared people were carelessly discarding them, along with food wrappers.
People use more than 500 billion plastic bags every year, equating to 150 for each person on earth. Unfortunately, we throw away billions of plastic shopping bags, with 10% of them (a total of 50 billion bags) ending up in the sea. It can take up to 1,000 years for a plastic bag to break down, so scientists describe them as among the deadliest pieces of ocean debris.
In England, the government introduced a 5p charge on single use plastic carrier bags in supermarkets in October 2015, under the Climate Change Act 2008. Aimed at reducing use of the bags, the charge isn't a tax and the proceeds go to charity. This has resulted in an 86% reduction in the number of plastic bags being provided by supermarkets. The scheme is so successful that it is being rolled out across all retailers, regardless of their size, from 1st April 2021.
A study in the prestigious publication, Science, calls plastic bottles the "big threat" facing the ocean. An estimated eight million tons of plastic bottles end up in the sea every year. Two of the biggest sources are said to be China and the United States, although in Britain, an estimated 16 million single-use plastic bottles are thrown away daily.
The ocean currents carrying the plastic bottles, combined with solar radiation, the wind and the action of the waves, are causing them to slowly deteriorate, with fragments cracking off, adding to the problems of tiny microfibres polluting the sea. Environmental groups suggest people should use a reusable glass or metal water bottle.
If people dispose of plastic bottles properly in a recycling bin, they can be used to create all kinds of items including building materials, car components, storage containers, furniture and even kerbstones.
What is the WWF doing to help?
The WWF is campaigning for a world free from single use plastic in nature by 2030, with the aim of restoring the planet.
While many businesses have signed up to environmental initiatives, individual consumers can help too. It’s easy to recycle your products at home and in the workplace, or you can opt to use reusable plastics that can be used time and time again.
While there is a place for plastics in items such as mobile phones, car components and laptops, we all have to take responsibility for our own behaviour. Buy eco-friendly products when possible and dispose of waste thoughtfully. Also, if you see any plastic waste on the beach, or in the park, pick it up and dispose of it properly – this could help to reduce injuries to animals. Only by working together can we help reduce plastic pollution and make the world a better place.
Solent Plastics is a responsible company which supports recycling and responsible plastic use. All our products are made to last a lifetime and we do not sell any single use plastics.