A new report commissioned by WWF provides the most comprehensive account to date of the extent to which plastic pollution is affecting the global ocean, the impacts it’s having on marine species and ecosystems, and how these trends are likely to develop in future.
Find out key facts about plastic in the ocean with our infographics, as well discover their impact and how the EU is acting to reduce plastic litter in the seas, Society.
At least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year, and plastic makes up 80% of all marine debris found from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.
A new study [1], commissioned by Seas At Risk and carried out by to the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology shows that microplastics in the marine environment come from numerous sources and economic sectors, and have widespread environmental impacts, including climate implications.
Current projected growth in plastic pollution will cause significant ecological risks, with certain pollution hotspots like the Mediterranean, the East China and Yellow Seas, and the Arctic sea ice already exceeding ecologically dangerous threshold of microplastic concentrations.
After years of largely neglecting the buildup of plastic waste in Earth’s environment, the U.N. Environment Assembly will meet in February and March in the hopes of drafting the first international treaty controlling global plastics pollution.
Researchers found that small sea creatures exist in equal number with pieces of plastic in parts of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which could have implications for cleaning up ocean pollution.
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 story is part of a series from UNEP that showcases how humanity can live more in harmony with nature on a pollution-free and climate-stable planet.
The statistics can seem overwhelming, adding to a sense of a task so monumental, it could be impossible to achieve. But a number of companies have sprung up to tackle the problem at source. They’re bringing low-tech but innovative solutions that are already making a big difference.
Plastic pollution is leaving behind impacts for generations to come. If our current rate of pollution continues, experts predict that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050...
