Plastic is a synthetic organic polymer made from petroleum with properties ideally suited for a wide variety of applications, including packaging, building and construction, household and sports equipment, vehicles, electronics and agriculture. Plastic is cheap, lightweight, strong and malleable.
Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year, half of which is used to design single-use items such as shopping bags, cups and straws.
Only 9% of plastic waste is recycled. Approximately 12% is burnt, while 79% has accumulated in landfills.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), at least 8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year.
Sources of Marine Plastic:
The main sources of marine plastic are land-based, from urban and storm runoff, sewer overflows, beach visitors, inadequate waste disposal and management, industrial activities, construction and illegal dumping.
Ocean-based plastic originates mainly from the fishing industry, nautical activities and aquaculture.
Under the influence of wind, currents and other natural factors, plastic fragments into small particles, termed microplastic(particles smaller than 5 mm) or nanoplastics (particles smaller than 100 nm).
In addition, microbeads, a type of microplastic, are very tiny pieces of manufactured polyethylene plastic that are added as exfoliants in health and beauty products, such as cleansers and toothpastes. These tiny particles easily pass through water filtration systems and end up in the ocean and lakes.
Concerns of Marine Plastic Waste:
Plastic waste blocks our sewers, threatening marine life and generating health risks for residents in landfills or the natural environment.
The financial costs of marine plastic pollution are significant as well.
According to a forecast made in March 2020, the direct harm to the blue economy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will be USD 2.1 billion per year.
Enormous social costs accompany these economic costs. Residents of coastal regions suffer from the harmful health impacts of plastic pollution and waste brought in by the tides.
Boats may become entangled in abandoned or discarded fishing nets or their engines may become blocked with plastic debris.
It can create problems for industries such as Shipping, fisheries and aquaculture and maritime tourism which affect livelihood of the coastal community.