The Commission highlights the lack of sufficient waste management infrastructure in much of the world as one of the contributors to plastic pollution and calls on the private sector, governments and civil society to work together to address the problem. The Ocean Conservancy is committed to solving this problem by bringing all these sectors together on the challenge before us. While we must strive to fully ‘close the loop’ on plastics production and reuse, we must first stop the avalanche of plastics from doing serious and systemic damage to our oceans now. This means ensuring that developing nations, where growing population and rising affluence are fueling a desire for single use disposable plastics, have the most basic of waste management infrastructure to keep debris out of the ocean. Leading global corporations have a vital role to play in partnering with governments to remedy these basic waste management needs and create the foundation upon which other needed strategies such as resource recovery, recycling and producer responsibility can be built.
If we don’t, the oceans will continue to suffer. Ocean Conservancy looks forward to working with the Global Ocean Commission to confront the global challenge of marine plastic pollution.
Ocean Conservancy commends the Global Ocean Commission on its Report and Proposals to confront the challenges and threats to the high seas. In particular, we are pleased to see the issue of marine debris – especially plastic pollution – receive the attention it deserves. Plastic production is predicted to increase dramatically in the coming decades. Once plastic enters the ocean, it is very difficult to clean up. The Commission’s recommendations will go a long way toward the comprehensive approach needed to stem the flow of plastic into our ocean.
Setting time-bound plastic reduction targets while creating incentives to promote recycling and producer responsibility. Restricting or banning certain unsustainable uses, encouraging substitute materials and better recycling systems.
Plastics are a major source of pollution on the high seas and constitute a health threat to both people and the environment. Debris entangles or suffocates seabirds, turtles and marine mammals, and plastic microparticles bio-accumulate, poisoning fish and entering the food chain.
Over 80% of the plastics found in the ocean come from the land, reflecting very poor and irresponsible waste management. However, political and regulatory action is lacking and consumers are not sufficiently aware of the problem.
World plastics production is estimated to increase by over 100 times based on 2010 production levels, from 270 million in 2010 to 33 billion in 2050, a percentage of which will end up in the ocean unless preventative action is taken.
Once it is in the ocean, plastic is very hard to remove, therefore the Commission is calling for coordinated action by governments, the private sector and civil society to stop plastics entering the ocean in the first place. Proposed actions include:
Establishing time-bound quantitative reduction targets;
Creating incentives to promote recycling and extend producer responsibility.
Restricting or banning certain unsustainable uses (e.g. disposable plastic bags and polyurethane packaging);
Encouraging the promotion and innovation of substitute materials and better recycling systems;
Increasing consumer awareness.
The Commission is also concerned about plastics pollution from sea-based sources, notably the problem of lost and abandoned fishing gear. Tens of thousands of fish aggregation devices (FADs) are used by the tuna fishing industry alone; many of them are eventually discarded or lost at sea.
The Commission proposes that all deployed FADs be documented, and that each new FAD from now on be made up of natural fibres and equipped with a tracking device. To discourage their abandonment at sea, the Commission also calls for port disposal programmes that encourage the safe, cost-effective disposal of used fishing gear. The use of natural biodegradable materials in fishing gear should also be promoted.